Opening Remarks by MOS Gan Siow Huang at the Singapore-Sweden Forum at the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW)

Her Excellency Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy Ebba Busch,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.            A warm welcome to the inaugural Singapore–Sweden Forum, which is held as part of SIEW 2025. I would like to express my appreciation to Team Sweden for co-organising today’s forum.

2.            Last November, during the State Visit by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf, Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Sweden Ministry of Climate and Enterprise signed a bilateral MOU to enhance collaboration on regional energy interconnectivity and the development of clean energy technologies.

3.            Since then, several exchanges have been held. A Singapore delegation made a visit to Stockholm last month for bilateral consultations and co-hosted with Team Sweden a successful SIEWConnects@Stockholm event. The delegation also toured the Siemens facility in Finspang.

4.            Today, this forum marks another step in advancing this ongoing Singapore–Sweden energy cooperation. I am delighted that EMA and Business Sweden will be signing a three-year partnership agreement later, which will maintain a strong Swedish presence in Singapore for years to come.

Southeast Asia Energy Landscape

5.            Around the world, the energy landscape is undergoing profound change. Global energy demand is projected to increase around 30% by 2050. This rising demand must be managed while ensuring energy security and sustainability.

6.            In Southeast Asia, this urgency is even more pronounced. The ASEAN Centre for Energy estimates that the region’s energy demand will triple by 2050, while emissions from the power sector continue to grow. This is why this year’s SIEW theme — “Envisioning Energy Tomorrow, Building Systems Today” — resonates so strongly with many who are here.

7.            These global and regional shifts underscore why Singapore must take bold steps at home. We must look ahead to the energy systems we want for the future, while taking concrete action today to build the technologies, infrastructure, and partnerships that will make that future possible.

Singapore’s Energy Transition

8.            As a small, resource-constrained nation, we do not have large tracts of land for solar deployment nor abundant renewable resources. Hence, we must leverage technology, partnerships, and policy innovation to drive meaningful change.

9.            Our energy transition strategy rests on several key pillars. We are expanding low-carbon electricity imports from the region by enhancing regional grid interconnectivity and fostering cross-border collaboration to ensure a secure and reliable supply.

10.         We are also strengthening our local grid, through a Future Grid Capabilities Roadmap, to prepare our system for the introduction of intermittent renewables as well as new types of loads such as data centres and electric vehicles.

11.         This is where Sweden’s experience in cross-border energy trading and regional grid integration, developed through participation in the Nordic electricity market, will provide many valuable insights.

12.         Beyond the grid, there are many other opportunities for collaboration. Biomethane, for example, has a strong potential for decarbonisation as a drop-in fuel, 95% of our current energy mix is natural gas. We are looking to trial biomethane through a 300 MW regulatory sandbox to help catalyse and matchmake both supply and demand in Singapore.

Call to Action

13.         It is my hope that the inaugural Singapore–Sweden Forum today will see greater engagement between our respective innovation ecosystems and with the region.

14.         We welcome Swedish companies to use Singapore as a regional base to grow their energy portfolio. We have the pleasure to witness the signing of a MOU between Siemens Energy and Keppel Infrastructure later, and I wish both companies a successful partnership. I hope to see more of such partnerships in the future amongst companies. Our institutions and agencies will benefit from working closely to exchange technical expertise, develop regulatory frameworks together, and explore pilot projects in emerging areas.

Closing

15.         Once again, I would like to thank our partners from Team Sweden, the esteemed speakers for today and panellists, and not forgetting all participants who are here today. I hope today’s forum will serve as a meaningful platform to exchange ideas and forge strong partnerships.

16.         Thank you.