By Massita Ahmad
SINGAPORE, Oct 28 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore and the Energy Commission of Malaysia (ST) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.
The MOU provides a framework for both organisations to enhance knowledge sharing and technical cooperation in the planning and reliability of gas and electricity systems, regulation of wholesale and retail electricity markets; and cooperation at multilateral meetings.
“This MOU will strengthen the exchanges between the EMA and ST. I look forward to closer collaboration on issues of mutual interest, such as greater integration of renewable energy into our national grids,” said EMA chief executive Ngiam Shih Chun in a joint statement issued here.
The first activity under the MOU will be a virtual dialogue between the EMA and ST in the first half of 2021, to discuss the challenges and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the energy sectors in Singapore and Malaysia.
The dialogue will allow both organisations to share best practices on regulatory responses to support energy markets while safeguarding consumers’ interests.
“The industry landscape as a whole is becoming more challenging than ever, especially post-COVID-19. We look forward to a greater relationship with our peer in Singapore and we are sure that this will be a win-win collaboration for both countries,” said ST chief executive officer Abdul Razib Dawood.
On Oct 26, the EMA announced that Singapore will be embarking on a two-year trial for electricity imports from Peninsular Malaysia.
It planned to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) by March 2021 for 100 megawatts of electricity imports which makes up about 1.5 per cent of Singapore’s peak electricity demand.
Under the RFP, the EMA said electricity imports could begin as early as end-2021, via the existing electricity interconnector between Singapore and Malaysia.