Jakarta, INTI - Plans to export clean electricity from Indonesia to Singapore are not just aimed at energy trade, but also act as a push to investment for building green technology industry facilities in the Batam, Bintan, and Karimun (BBK) region.
The Indonesian government wants to leverage green energy supply to attract investment from global technology companies. With this investment, the BBK region can be developed as the new green industry area in Indonesia.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, highlighted this matter in his statement during a meeting with Singapore’s Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology, Tan See Leng, in Tokyo on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
"I have received reports that the industrial area is almost complete. We will build it in the Riau Islands (Kepri). And I'm still clearing this. If it's complete, I think this will be a step forward in preparations," said Bahlil, as stated on ESDM’s official website.
Minister Tan See Leng welcomed the technical progress regarding the plan.
"I think most of the technical discussions have made good progress," said Tan See Leng.
Electricity Program is Being Built to Fulfill Both Domestic and Export Needs
During the bilateral meeting, the two countries also talked about the development of sustainable industrial areas in the BBK region. The Indonesian government emphasized that domestic electricity needs will remain prioritized over exports. Moreover, this collaboration will open up opportunities in low-carbon technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS).
"Regarding CCS, I have prepared the regulations. We can then collaborate on that," Bahlil said.
Another discussion at the meeting was electricity exports. Indonesia proposed exporting electricity from solar power plants (PLTS), in line with the 100-gigawatt (GW) electricity program being built to meet domestic needs and also for export to neighboring countries. However, there are challenges in terms of pricing, with green energy being more expensive than fossil fuels.
The two ministers also agreed that the collaboration demonstrates ASEAN's energy leadership. With Singapore’s technical support and investment and Indonesia's vast energy resources, this collaboration is expected to make the Riau Islands region the center of the regional green energy supply chain. After previously signing three memorandums of understanding (MoUs), a pilot project implementation in the BBK region is expected to begin soon as initial steps.
Conclusion
Indonesia's clean electricity export plan to Singapore is not only intended for energy trade but also to attract high-tech industrial investment in the Batam, Bintan, and Karimun regions. The government aims to utilize green energy to encourage the development of new green industrial facilities, while prioritizing domestic electricity needs and opening up cooperation on low-carbon technologies such as CCS. Both countries assess the technical progress of this cooperation as positive.
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