KUALA LUMPUR: The new strategic partnership exploring the export of renewable electricity from Vietnam to Malaysia and Singapore marks the beginning of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) initiative, involving both land-based and undersea connectivity, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah, who is also Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said the exchange of the joint development agreement between two consortiums today signifies a major regional collaboration on clean energy between Vietnam and Malaysia, as well as Singapore, which involves the supply of renewable energy.
Through the agreement, Malaysia, represented by MY Energy Consortium, an unincorporated consortium established by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), will collaborate with a consortium comprising PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC), a member of Vietnam National Industry–Energy Group (Petrovietnam), and Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp).
Fadillah emphasised that the technical details will be addressed in the next phases of the collaboration, but the current agreement lays the groundwork for deeper cooperation under the ASEAN Power Grid vision.
“The supply of renewable energy will be transmitted via an undersea cable network (with technical and financial support) underwritten by Petronas and TNB.
“This is just the beginning. All the technicalities will be discussed in more depth after this,” Fadillah told reporters after the exchange of the joint development agreement ceremony today.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, together with his counterparts from Singapore, Lawrence Wong and Vietnam’s Pham Minh Chinh witnessed the exchange of the joint development agreement between the two consortiums on the sideline of the 46th ASEAN Summit here today.
Meanwhile, TNB chief executive officer, Datuk Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan reaffirmed that the feasibility study on the strategic partnership is expected to be ready by October 2025.
“What we are seeing today is the first step of a venture between the parties within the ASEAN countries to ensure the purpose of the APG comes into reality.
“The next step for us is to go into the feasibility study, and from there on, we will see the level and the depth of the ventures that we will be undertaking,” he noted.
On Sunday, Investment Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the negotiations on the enhanced memorandum of agreement for the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) are set to conclude with a signing at the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting in October 2025.
