French energy company TotalEnergies and Singapore-based energy firm RGE, through their joint venture (JV) Singa Renewables (Singa), have received conditional approval from Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) to import 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy from Indonesia.

The project marks a significant step in advancing renewable energy cooperation between the two nations. Indonesia’s rich solar resources will generate clean energy to be exported to Singapore, contributing to Singapore’s sustainability goals.

In addition, the Singa project will supply solar PV energy domestically to power green industrial complexes in Indonesia’s Riau province, supporting the country’s plan to raise renewable energy usage from 13% in 2023 to 31% by 2050 and aid in its transition to net zero by 2060.

The landmark move was announced during the recent Indonesia International Sustainability Forum 2024 in Jakarta by Tan See Leng, Singapore’s minister for manpower and second minister for trade and industry.

“Together with TotalEnergies, we aim to provide a win-win solution for both Indonesia and Singapore by supplying green electricity to both countries to decarbonize their energy supply and achieve their energy transition goals,” says William Goh, global head of renewable energy at RGE. “At the same time, our project can catalyze further investments and employment in the solar sector and contribute to the development of Indonesia’s solar energy supply chain.”