Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam Forge Renewable Energy Alliance to Explore Cross-Border Clean Electricity Trade

Leading energy firms from Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have signed a landmark Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to explore the feasibility of exporting clean electricity from Vietnam to Malaysia and Singapore. The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, marks a significant move towards enhancing regional energy connectivity and advancing the ASEAN Power Grid initiative.

The trilateral agreement brings together Malaysia’s Malaysian Energy Consortium (MYEC)—a collaboration between Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS)—Vietnam’s Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC), and Singapore’s Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd, a unit of Sembcorp Industries. The partnership aims to harness Vietnam’s abundant offshore wind potential to generate clean electricity for regional supply via submarine cable connections to Peninsular Malaysia, with potential future linkages to Singapore.

Under the agreement, the partners will jointly conduct feasibility studies to assess grid interconnection, transmission infrastructure, and the integration of energy storage systems to ensure supply stability. The project will be developed in close coordination with national authorities and is expected to play a key role in achieving regional energy security and net-zero goals.

“This tripartite partnership is a milestone in developing cross-border green infrastructure. It supports our ambition to build an electricity transit hub for the ASEAN Power Grid,” said MYEC representatives Datuk Ir. Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan (TNB CEO) and Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik (PETRONAS CEO) in a joint statement.

Vietnam is positioning itself as a regional renewable energy hub, with the government identifying offshore wind as a national priority. “This agreement reflects PTSC and Petrovietnam’s role in driving Vietnam’s energy transition. It marks a new phase of renewable energy investment,” said Mr. Tran Ho Bac, General Director of PTSC.

Singapore, which targets the import of 6GW of low-emission electricity by 2035, sees the agreement as a strategic move toward securing sustainable power. “This initiative reaffirms Singapore’s role as a regional energy hub and supports our emissions reduction commitments,” stated Mr. Wong Kim Yin, Group CEO of Sembcorp Industries.

As ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia’s leadership in this initiative further underscores the region’s commitment to collaborative decarbonization. The JDA is expected to pave the way for a scalable cross-border renewable energy model, positioning Southeast Asia as a global example in sustainable energy cooperation.