Sembcorp’s Journey in Driving the Energy Transition
At the Singapore Electricity Roundtable 2025, Mr Vickrem Vijayan, Chief Operating Officer, Singapore, at Sembcorp Industries, traced the company’s evolution from its beginnings as Singapore’s first natural gas importer to its position today as a regional leader in renewable and low-carbon solutions.
His speech highlighted how Sembcorp has been pioneering new models, investing in sustainable technologies, and partnering customers in their energy transition journeys.
Expanding regional energy links
Mr Vijayan underscored the importance of regional interconnections in Singapore’s energy strategy. In 2024, the country marked a milestone by importing renewable electricity from Malaysia, supported by Sembcorp. More imports are in the pipeline, with conditional approvals secured for over 2GW of low-carbon electricity from Vietnam and Sarawak in the coming years.
“These cross-border projects are vital in diversifying Singapore’s supply mix and accelerating decarbonisation,” he explained.
From natural gas to renewables
Sembcorp’s journey began on Jurong Island, where it played a key role in importing natural gas to Singapore. This established the company as a reliable energy provider and gave it a foundation to grow. Over the years, Sembcorp has steadily reshaped its portfolio, increasing its share of renewables while continuing to ensure system reliability.
Mr Vijayan noted that Sembcorp now operates renewable energy projects across multiple markets, with solar projects in China and the Middle East, hydropower in Vietnam, wind power generation in India, as well as one of largest fleets of energy storage systems in the UK.
Not only do these solar, wind and hydro projects expand the company’s clean energy footprint, they also demonstrate Sembcorp’s commitment to sustainability while supporting the decarbonisation efforts of different countries.
Pioneering the circular economy
Beyond power generation, Sembcorp has also been a pioneer in circular economy solutions. On Jurong Island, long before sustainability was a buzzword, the company developed systems to turn waste streams into resources. This approach not only improved efficiency but also reduced emissions, setting a precedent in sustainable operations for the industry.
“Although the idea then was not about sustainability, what we started twenty years ago have achieved sufficient scale to be commercially viable,” said Mr Vijayan. “Today, we have the largest renewable energy solar farm in Jurong Island, and are working on new energy transition projects such as a 600 MWh hydrogen-ready CCGT power plant.”
The Tengeh Floating Solar Farm, one of the world’s largest inland floating solar projects, has become a showcase for innovation in clean energy deployment. Complementing this is one of Southeast Asia’s largest energy storage systems, also operated by Sembcorp, which helps to manage fluctuations in renewable output and maintain grid stability.
This rapid expansion has enabled Sembcorp to exceed its 2025 renewable energy capacity target of 10GW ahead of schedule. With this momentum, the company is now on track to meeting its new target of 25GW by 2028.
Partnering customers on their journey
A key theme in Mr Vijayan’s remarks was the importance of partnerships. He explained that Sembcorp is not only transforming its own portfolio but also working alongside its customers to help them decarbonise. An example is its collaboration with Micron, where Sembcorp has supported the semiconductor giant in achieving its sustainability goals by providing reliable, cleaner energy solutions.
“With the many energy switches that we have been able to develop,” Mr Vijayan said, “We have been able to position ourselves as a good energy transition partner for customers.”
His speech highlighted how Sembcorp has been pioneering new models, investing in sustainable technologies, and partnering customers in their energy transition journeys.
Expanding regional energy links
Mr Vijayan underscored the importance of regional interconnections in Singapore’s energy strategy. In 2024, the country marked a milestone by importing renewable electricity from Malaysia, supported by Sembcorp. More imports are in the pipeline, with conditional approvals secured for over 2GW of low-carbon electricity from Vietnam and Sarawak in the coming years.
“These cross-border projects are vital in diversifying Singapore’s supply mix and accelerating decarbonisation,” he explained.
From natural gas to renewables
Sembcorp’s journey began on Jurong Island, where it played a key role in importing natural gas to Singapore. This established the company as a reliable energy provider and gave it a foundation to grow. Over the years, Sembcorp has steadily reshaped its portfolio, increasing its share of renewables while continuing to ensure system reliability.
Mr Vijayan noted that Sembcorp now operates renewable energy projects across multiple markets, with solar projects in China and the Middle East, hydropower in Vietnam, wind power generation in India, as well as one of largest fleets of energy storage systems in the UK.
Not only do these solar, wind and hydro projects expand the company’s clean energy footprint, they also demonstrate Sembcorp’s commitment to sustainability while supporting the decarbonisation efforts of different countries.
Pioneering the circular economy
Beyond power generation, Sembcorp has also been a pioneer in circular economy solutions. On Jurong Island, long before sustainability was a buzzword, the company developed systems to turn waste streams into resources. This approach not only improved efficiency but also reduced emissions, setting a precedent in sustainable operations for the industry.
“Although the idea then was not about sustainability, what we started twenty years ago have achieved sufficient scale to be commercially viable,” said Mr Vijayan. “Today, we have the largest renewable energy solar farm in Jurong Island, and are working on new energy transition projects such as a 600 MWh hydrogen-ready CCGT power plant.”
The Tengeh Floating Solar Farm, one of the world’s largest inland floating solar projects, has become a showcase for innovation in clean energy deployment. Complementing this is one of Southeast Asia’s largest energy storage systems, also operated by Sembcorp, which helps to manage fluctuations in renewable output and maintain grid stability.
This rapid expansion has enabled Sembcorp to exceed its 2025 renewable energy capacity target of 10GW ahead of schedule. With this momentum, the company is now on track to meeting its new target of 25GW by 2028.
Partnering customers on their journey
A key theme in Mr Vijayan’s remarks was the importance of partnerships. He explained that Sembcorp is not only transforming its own portfolio but also working alongside its customers to help them decarbonise. An example is its collaboration with Micron, where Sembcorp has supported the semiconductor giant in achieving its sustainability goals by providing reliable, cleaner energy solutions.
“With the many energy switches that we have been able to develop,” Mr Vijayan said, “We have been able to position ourselves as a good energy transition partner for customers.”
