Accelerating Cross-Border Energy Integration Through Investments and Regional Cooperation

By Keethanna Jeyaseelan, EMA

During the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2025, industry leaders at the Singapore-IEA Forum and the Singapore-IRENA High-Level Forum discussed the critical role of cross-border energy integration in accelerating Southeast Asia’s energy transition.

They highlighted the importance of having robust regulatory frameworks, innovative financing and regional cooperation to accelerate the development of interconnected power grids in Southeast Asia to meet the region’s growing energy demands while advancing decarbonisation efforts.

Regional cooperation key to the development of regional grids

At a Singapore-IEA Forum panel discussion moderated by Elaine Lam, Group Managing Director, Head of Global Corporate Banking, OCBC, regulatory and industry leaders discussed how Southeast Asia’s energy transformation requires robust cooperation across nations and sectors. They also discussed the role of the ASEAN Power Grid to support energy security and the region’s clean energy transition.

Claire McLaughlin, Head of Energy Performance and Security Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia shared that the clean energy transition is at the forefront of Australia’s diplomatic, economic and development relationships across Southeast Asia.

Given that multiple stakeholders are involved, panellists highlighted the importance of balancing complex interests between exporters and importers, public and private entities in regional grid integration projects.

Sushil Purohit, Chief Executive Officer, Gentari, highlighted the need to harmonise policies with business-led initiatives to drive regional interconnectivity. Echoing this view, Janice Bong, Managing Director, Power & Renewables, Keppel Infrastructure discussed the different approaches to create “win-win” outcomes for regional grid projects.

H.E. Dr Anders Hoffmann, IEA Governing Board Chair, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Climate, Energy, and Utilities, Denmark emphasised the importance of regulatory frameworks between nations and regional partners for interconnected grids to deliver efficiency and energy security.

Accelerating investment in connected energy systems

In an industry dialogue conducted during the Singapore-IRENA High-Level Forum, energy leaders and investors examined how to unlock capital for cross-border energy infrastructure—an urgent priority given the scale of investments needed by 2030. Moderated by Birribi Dillon, Head of International Partnerships & Development, Institutional, Export Finance Australia, the session explored financing, risk mitigation and business models that can accelerate regional energy integration.

Highlighting the challenges faced by the region, Dato' Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Energy noted that strong partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms are key to meeting the scale of investment required for cross-border energy infrastructure.

Sharad Somani, Partner, Head of Infrastructure Advisory, Head of Infrastructure, Asia Pacific and Head of ESG Consulting, KPMG in Singapore emphasised the need for “certainty, credibility, and consistency” in project frameworks, and the role of blended financing mechanisms to accelerate regional energy integration.

Pascal Radue, Executive Vice President, Generation and Transmission, Nexans called for transparency and collaboration in de-risking complex energy projects, noting the critical importance of proactive information sharing across supply chains.

Clear regulatory frameworks to driving project success

The panellists also discussed how clear regulatory frameworks is fundamental to cross-border energy success. Grégory Thomassin, Head of Business Development, TotalEnergies Renewables Asia Pacific, emphasised the need for regulatory clarity and alignment with governments, to accelerate cross-border projects.

Michael Boardman, Chief Financial Officer, Gurin Energy echoed this sentiment, calling for standardised “ground laying rules” to support cross-country connections.

Realising ASEAN’s interconnected energy future

A key takeaway from these discussions is that Southeast Asia's energy transition has moved beyond aspirational targets to concrete implementation phases. Success will depend on maintaining the momentum of regulatory harmonisation, fostering transparent collaboration across supply chains, and deploying innovative financing solutions needed to realise ASEAN's interconnected energy future.

Stay tuned as the conversation evolves throughout the day. Follow @SIEW_sg on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter) for the latest insights.