Singapore and the International Energy Agency (IEA) are entering the next decade of their partnership with a focus on strengthening regional energy resilience and advancing cross-border electricity trade.
Delivering the opening remarks at the 10th Singapore-IEA Forum, H.E. Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry), Singapore, highlighted key focus areas for future cooperation: enhancing energy security and supporting the regulatory frameworks needed to realise the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) vision.
A decade of regional energy cooperation
Marking ten years since Singapore became an IEA Association Country, H.E. Dr Tan highlighted the partnership's contributions to regional energy cooperation.
Since 2017, the Singapore-IEA Regional Training Programme has trained more than 1,600 participants from 30 countries in energy efficiency, clean energy financing and regional grid connectivity.
H.E. Dr Tan also highlighted the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre (RCC) in Singapore, the agency’s first office outside Paris. Established in January 2025, the RCC has supported regional capacity building and studies on interconnector financing, ASEAN Power Grid (APG) implementation and the ASEAN Submarine Power Cable Development Framework.
Strengthening energy security and regional connectivity
Looking ahead, H.E. Dr Tan identified two priorities for deeper IEA cooperation with Southeast Asia:
- Strengthening energy resilience: Amid global energy market volatility, H.E. Dr Tan welcomed the IEA's latest ASEAN Energy Security Review, calling for its recommendations to be translated into practical measures to prepare the region for oil, gas and electricity supply disruptions.
- Facilitating cross-border electricity trade: H.E. Dr Tan said that realising the APG 2045 vision requires not only physical interconnections, but also clear regulatory frameworks and power trading arrangements. The IEA could support this through best practices, technical expertise and evidence-based assessments.
H.E. Dr Tan also highlighted two agreements signed earlier that day between Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the French Energy Regulatory Commission and New Zealand's Electricity Authority, respectively.
These agreements reinforce Singapore's efforts to deepen international cooperation on grid connectivity, renewable energy investment and emerging energy technologies.
H.E. Dr Tan emphasised the importance of turning cooperation into practical action to strengthen energy security, affordability and sustainability across Singapore and the wider region.
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