'As long as the price is right': Indonesia won't export electricity to Singapore unless pricing terms are met

Indonesia will not export electricity to Singapore unless the two countries can agree on a suitable price, its Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said on Monday (Nov 2).

Speaking to reporters at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Bahlil said Indonesia remained open to supplying electricity to the Republic but would prioritise domestic needs if the proposed price did not meet Jakarta's expectations, Indonesian state news agency Antara reported. 

"As long as the price is right, follow our prices, that is possible. But if the price is not right, we will prioritise domestic needs," he said, according to Antara.

Bahlil, who also serves as Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition, said his ministry had already calculated the proposed export price, but did not disclose the figure or indicate when exports could begin.

His latest remarks followed an earlier statement on Monday that Indonesia would not be able to export electricity in the near future because it still needed the power for domestic consumption.

He also warned Indonesia's sovereign investment agency Danantara against efforts to lobby for lower electricity export prices, stressing that permits for such exports were issued by his ministry.

Singapore and Indonesia have been working towards cross-border electricity cooperation, with plans to develop projects with a combined capacity of 3.4 gigawatts (GW) or more by 2035, according to a joint statement issued in July 2026 by Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Indonesia's Danantara. 

In September 2024, Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) granted conditional licences to five Indonesia-based projects to import a total of 2GW of low-carbon electricity.

It also granted conditional approvals to two additional projects to import another 1.4GW, bringing the total planned import capacity from Indonesia to 3.4GW, EMA said.

Singapore has also stressed the importance of balancing domestic energy needs with regional cooperation. 

During a visit to Jakarta on Oct 28, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said countries had a responsibility to secure essential supplies, including energy, for their populations, but stressed that meeting domestic needs and pursuing cross-border cooperation were not mutually exclusive. 

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