SINGAPORE: Singapore’s International Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday (Sep 1) floated the thought of a Pacific energy grid linked to Australia, saying it might strengthen power safety whereas permitting international locations to profit from economies of scale in electrical energy technology.
Talking on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Discussion board in Palau, Dr Balakrishnan drew parallels with Southeast Asia’s efforts to develop an Asssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Power Grid. Regional power leaders say the initiative is more and more considered as an financial and power safety necessity.
“Think about a day that you’ve a Pacific grid which is linked to Australia,” mentioned Dr Balakrishnan.
“Even for us in Southeast Asia, we are attempting to work on an ASEAN energy grid. Due to the east-west unfold of our areas, the entire variety of sunlight hours could be greater than 12 hours, and you’d additionally get economies of scale, and you’ll get safety – collective power safety – throughout this area.”
In contrast to Singapore, which makes use of gas-powered generators to generate electrical energy, Dr Balakrishnan famous that Pacific Island international locations depend on diesel for electrical energy technology. This implies power prices within the Pacific are increased than in Singapore, the place about 95 per cent of electricity is generated from imported pure gasoline, in response to the Power Market Authority.
However in contrast to Singapore, the “small and dispersed” nature of Pacific Island states additionally means gasoline is a much less viable resolution, he mentioned. As such, an interconnected grid might enable electrical energy to be generated cost-effectively and shared throughout a wider space.
“The opposite massive distinction between you and Singapore is that you’re ‘BOS’ – massive ocean states – and subsequently you aren’t in need of sunshine or locations to generate renewable power,” Dr Balakrishnan mentioned.
He described Australia as a renewable power “superpower” and a possible companion for such a grid.
Dr Balakrishnan additionally introduced up how recent disruptions to global energy supplies are a reminder that the power transition is just not solely about local weather change, however about power safety, financial resilience, and giving small states “strategic autonomy” and “higher management over their future”.
“It is a collective existential problem for all of us,” he mentioned, including that the know-how wanted for the transition already largely exists and the problem lies in “getting the economics and politics proper”.
