Singapore Electricity Market

General Information
Since 1995, the government has been attempting to liberalise the electricity market in Singapore through a series
of processes. The main organisation which operates Singapores wholesale energy market is the Energy Market
Company (EMC), a branch of the Energy Market Authority (EMA). In 2003, the National Electricity Market of
Singapore (NEMS) was formed under a new legal and regulatory framework by EMC to further liberalise the
electricity industry and to provide market consumers with more options in purchasing electricity. NEMS handles
the purchase and sale of electricity, serving as a trading platform for electricity. So far, the market has opened up
75% of total electricity sales to competition according to the EMA. A total of about 13,000 consumers are able to
exercise their choice of electricity purchase.
Structure of the market
There are two categories of consumers in this market system: contestable and non-contestable players.
Contestable players have the option of buying electricity from a retailer directly or indirectly. Customers who buy
electricity directly are those who remain with SP services and buy electricity from the wholesale market. Noncontestable players, for example residential consumers and other small utilities, are only allowed to buy
electricity from Singapore Power (SP) services at regulated tariffs. The final phase of liberalization is now
currently under review, after which all consumers will eventually become contestable. At the moment, the
important market participants are:

Power Generation
Companies/licensees

Non-contestable
consumers
Market Support Services
Licensee (SP Services)

Market Support Services

Licensee (SP Services)

Wholesale Market
Trader (Indirect)

Wholesale Market

Contestable consumers

Wholesale Market Trader

(Direct)

Retail Service licensees

(Direct)

The generation licensees: generate electricity to the power grid which will be pooled into the
wholesale market. Active generators are:
YTL PowerSeraya Pte Ltd
Sembcorp Cogen Pte Ltd
Pacific Light Power Pte Ltd
Keppel Merlimau Cogen Pte Ltd
National Environment Agency
Tuas Power Generation Pte Ltd
Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte Ltd
Senoko Waste-To-Energy Pte Ltd
Senoko Energy Pte. Ltd
ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
Keppel Seghers Tuas Waste-To-Energy Plant Pte Ltd
Tuaspring Pte Ltd
TP Utilities Pte Ltd
Singapore Refining Company Pte Ltd

Market Support Services Licensees (MSSL): support services include consumer registration, meter
reading and billing. SP Services is the only MSSL. It is also the only electrical company in Singapore
which provides electricity and gas transmission.

Retail electricity licensees: Sell electricity to contestable consumers Active retailers are:
Keppel Electric Pte Ltd
Sembcorp Power Pte Ltd
Senoko Energy Supply Pte Ltd
Seraya Energy Pte Ltd
Tuas Power Supply Pte Ltd
Pacific Light Energy Pte Ltd
Diamond Energy Supply Pte Ltd
Hyflux Energy Pte Ltd

The gas industry also plays a part in generating competition in Singapores electricity market. According to EMA,
about 90% of Singapores electricity demand is fulfilled by electricity generated from natural gas. Natural gas is
imported into Singapore from Malaysia and Indonesia via four offshore pipelines and is regulated and sold by the
respective governments. Singapore also imports LNG from various countries across the world. Some of the
importers and retailers of gas are also the licensees for the electricity market, such as Senoko Power Ltd, Keppel
Pte Ltd and SembCorp. In May 2013 Singapore built its first LNG receiving terminal to fulfil the rising demand and
to diversift its sources of natural gas. It has an initial capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per annum and will be
increased when additional regasification facilities are constructed.

http://www.emcsg.com/aboutus/corporateprofile
http://www.singaporepower.com.sg/
http://www.ema.gov.sg/page/19/id:26/
DATE: January 2014