SIEW 2025 Wrap-up: 5 Defining Highlights Powering Asia's Energy Transition
As Singapore marks its 60th years of independence, the 18th edition of the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2025 took place under the theme 'Envisioning Energy Tomorrow, Building Systems Today'. The week-long event convened global leaders and innovators to chart the next phase of the energy transition.
With over 23,000 delegates in attendance, the event focused on how collaboration, connectivity, and capabilities are reshaping regional energy systems. Over the week, five pivotal highlights emerged. Together, they map how the systems built today are laying the foundation for our energy future.
- SG60 milestone signals Singapore's next energy chapter
- Four key components guiding Singapore's framework for future readiness
- ASEAN Interconnectivity powering a resilient regional grid
- Nuclear energy emerges as the next frontier in clean energy
- Artificial Intelligence and digital innovations shaping the grids of tomorrow
- SG60 milestone signals Singapore's next energy chapter
Singapore's 60th anniversary marks a pivotal moment in the nation's energy journey. During the Singapore Energy Lecture, H.E. Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Minister-in- Charge of Energy and Science & Technology, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore, unveiled a series of initiatives. These outlined how Singapore is building the systems that will define its energy future.
Key milestones included the start of construction for Singapore's first floating LNG storage and regasification unit. As part of a second LNG terminal due 2030, the facility will expand import capacity by 50 percent.
H.E. Dr Tan also highlighted the recent formation of Singapore GasCo to centralise gas procurement. In addition, he announced S$44 million in support for two new high-efficiency power plants. These measures reinforce supply resilience while preparing the grid for more diverse, low-carbon sources.
At the same time, natural gas will remain a key part of the transition, helping maintain stability even as the energy mix diversifies. As H.E. Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore, noted at the Asia Gas Markets Conference: "Natural gas is not just an important fuel for today. It is also a bridging fuel for tomorrow's energy systems."
H.E. Dr Tan emphasised that future energy reliability will depend not only on infrastructure but also on smarter and more innovative systems. To support this, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) will pilot a Virtual Power Plant Regulatory Sandbox and launch an Energy Grid 3.0 Grant Call to advance grid innovation. In partnership with SP Group, EMA is exploring an SP Technology Laboratory to develop solutions for an increasingly complex power system.
Singapore is also advancing a 300 megawatt biomethane sandbox, an ammonia pilot project, and carbon capture studies. These efforts reflect a broader intent to balance sustainability, security and affordability—the energy trilemma that continues to guide national policy.
Collectively, these initiatives mark a shift from infrastructure expansion to integrated systems building. The week signalled a clear inflection point where policy, technology and regional partnerships are translating long-term ambition into coordinated action.
In addition, Jurong Island is taking on a renewed role as a hub for low-carbon innovation. New initiatives, including A*STAR's S$62.5 million Low-Carbon Technology Translational Testbed and Singapore's largest low-carbon data centre park, will deepen applied research and industry collaboration. Jurong Island will also host large-scale solar and advanced energy storage projects, further strengthening system reliability and supporting the net zero transition.
Building on these initiatives, the Government will launch the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 Strategy next year. This seeks to expand R&D in power and industry decarbonisation.
The SG60@SIEW Showcase added a forward-looking dimension by charting Singapore's long-term energy vision towards 2065. The showcase illustrated how innovation, policy and workforce strategies are advancing the next phase of Singapore's energy transformation, which includes the shift towards smarter grids, low-carbon fuels, and deeper regional interconnectivity.
- Four key components guiding Singapore's framework for future readiness
Singapore's new energy chapter will be built on four key components in the spirit of SIEW: Sustainable pathways, Interconnectivity, Ecosystem resilience, and Workforce capabilities. Each outlines an area of action to build systems today that can power tomorrow's low-carbon energy:
- Sustainable pathways: Singapore continues to diversify its energy mix. Solar remains Singapore's most viable renewable option, while studies into geothermal and nuclear energy expand long-term options. At the same time, technologies such as hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon capture are being developed to strengthen flexibility.
- Interconnectivity: Through the ASEAN Power Grid, Singapore is strengthening cross-border links. Collaboration with neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia demonstrates how shared systems can accelerate implementation.
- Ecosystem resilience: New initiatives, from the smart meter rollout to incentives for advanced power plants, ensure that Singapore's power systems remain secure and efficient, as the energy mix diversifies.
- Workforce capabilities: Singapore's clean energy workforce is expected to grow 60 percent over the next decade. This will be supported by training and reskilling in partnership with industry and Institutes of Higher Learning. New roles are also emerging in subsea interconnectors, carbon capture, and low-carbon fuels.
- Interconnectivity powering a resilient regional grid in ASEAN
Across ASEAN, momentum is building towards a more connected and resilient regional power system. From the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP) to emerging Indonesia-Singapore links, countries are deepening collaboration. These efforts are accelerating renewable integration and grid development.
At SIEW 2025, regional leaders underscored that interconnectivity is not just about shared power, but shared resilience. The latter ensures energy remains affordable, reliable, and secure for all.
ASEAN energy ministers recently endorsed the Terms of Reference for an ASEAN Subsea Power Cable Development Framework. This is a key step towards unlocking long-distance electricity links across the region. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that such integration could lower Southeast Asia's average electricity costs to under US$100/MWh by 2035, and around US$80/MWh by 2050.
Singapore continues to play a convening role. EMA and the Australian Energy Regulator signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen regulatory exchanges and cooperation on low-carbon technologies. Collaboration with Sweden is to advance high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems and subsea cables. These partnerships are vital for long-distance electricity trade.
To scale financing and technical cooperation, Singapore and the International Renewable Energy Agency launched the ASEAN Power Grid Resilience and Sustainability Alliance . The platform will drive renewable-based transitions, grid modernisation, and green industrialisation across Southeast Asia.
Together, these partnerships demonstrate how ASEAN's power integration is progressing from planning to practical implementation. This alignment spans technical, regulatory, and market systems across borders.
New systems are also improving market transparency. Singapore and the I-TRACK Foundation are developing a Cross-Border Renewable Energy Certificate Framework. This is the first such framework in Southeast Asia to guide how renewable energy is tracked and verified across borders. It aligns regional markets with international standards and builds confidence in cross-border electricity trade.
Complementing these tools, new carbon market initiatives will enhance transparency and trust. They include guidance on credible credits, a buyers' coalition, and a financial sector grant.
By convening regulators, technology partners and investors, Singapore continues to act as a trusted hub for ASEAN's energy integration. Through these partnerships, the region is turning cooperation into real connections that link grids, standards and ideas across ASEAN.
- Nuclear energy emerges as the next frontier in clean energy
Globally, nuclear energy is re-emerging as a key part of the clean energy transition. More than 30 countries are expanding or re-embracing nuclear programmes. Small modular reactors (SMRs), offering safer, faster-to-deploy and more flexible options, are expected to come online by 2030. As Low Xin Wei, Assistant Chief Executive of EMA, observed at SIEW TechTable: "We are seeing a renaissance unfolding."
For Singapore, nuclear remains a long-term option under careful study. The Government has established the Nuclear Energy Office and Nuclear Safety Division to build regulatory and technical expertise through targeted training and international collaboration. To enhance public understanding, Singapore released a background paper on 'Building Singapore's Capabilities to Assess Nuclear Energy'. It sets out how Singapore is assessing nuclear's safety, reliability, affordability, and sustainability.
International collaboration anchors this work. Singapore has signed cooperation agreements with the U.S. and France to advance research on next-generation reactor technologies and safety standards. New partnerships with the Idaho National Laboratory and Battelle Memorial Institute will expand technical training and knowledge exchange.
Speaking at the Singapore-U.S. Forum, H.E. Dr Tan said nuclear energy "has the potential to be a safe, reliable, and cost-competitive option for Singapore". He stressed that public trust and the highest safety standards must underpin any decision. Singapore's approach is to evaluate objectively and scientifically whether advanced nuclear technologies such as SMRs could be viable for deployment.
Puah Kok Keong, Chief Executive, EMA, also announced a new three-year partnership with the World Nuclear Association (2026–2028). Speaking at the SIEW Thinktank Roundtable B: The Evolving Role of Nuclear In the Future Energy System, he said the platform will deepen technical understanding. It will also drive knowledge exchange through workshops and regional forums.
Through this measured, knowledge-first approach, Singapore is laying the foundations to make informed decisions about the future role of nuclear energy.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovations shaping the grids of tomorrow
As energy systems grow more complex, AI and digital innovations are becoming strategic enablers of grid resilience, flexibility, and cross-border integration.
Across ASEAN, utilities are using AI-driven analytics and digital twins to forecast demand, optimise renewables, and detect faults before they occur. These tools are enabling smarter, self-healing grids that can balance variability and support cross-border power flows.
Regionally, smarter grids are becoming the foundation for more connected energy markets. Digital tools are turning physical connectivity into operational coordination, linking ASEAN's growing network of grids, markets, and data systems.
For Singapore, AI is central to grid modernisation. It enhances fault detection, predictive maintenance, and integration of variable renewables. These capabilities improve grid visibility and responsiveness, enabling faster decisions at both national and regional levels.
EMA's Demand-Side Flexibility Roadmap, the Future Grid Capabilities Roadmap, and SP Group's Digital Twin are key building blocks of this effort. An island-wide rollout of smart meters by 2026 will further enable flexible, data-driven energy management across homes and businesses.
Speakers at SIEW 2025 shared that while AI offers major efficiencies, it also contributes to increasing electricity demand from data centres and digital infrastructure. However, if deployed responsibly, AI could transform grid efficiency.
Widespread use in load forecasting and predictive maintenance could save up to US$110 billion in annual operating costs and cut 1.4 gigatonnes of carbon emissions by 2035. Realising that potential will depend on open data, cross-sector collaboration, and policies that align innovation with sustainability. Still, the message across the week was clear. Speakers emphasised that AI augments, not replaces, human expertise. The energy transition, powered by AI and digital innovations, is as much about people as it is about technology.
Asia's energy transition gains ground
The wide-ranging conversations at SIEW 2025 underscored that Asia's energy transformation is already taking shape. Smarter grids, cleaner fuels, and deeper regional interconnectivity are moving from concept to execution. The energy systems being connected, digitalised and de-risked today won't just power a low-carbon future. They'll define how Asia stays resilient, competitive, and connected.
Check out more conversations around key energy topics that took place at SIEW 2025.
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