Ecobiz.asia – Singapore-based Equator Renewables Asia (ERA), founded by former Sunseap co-founder Frank Phuan, has partnered with CRE International Co., Ltd. (CREI), a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), to develop a multi-billion-dollar solar and battery project in Indonesia’s Riau Islands to supply clean electricity to Singapore.
The partnership, formalized through a Cooperation Framework Agreement signed at the Asia Clean Energy Summit 2025 in Singapore, Tuesday (Oct. 28, 2025) marks the first Chinese investment in Singapore’s cross-border low-carbon power initiative.
The project will include a 900MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and a 1.2GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) expected to generate about 830GWh of renewable power annually once completed in 2029.
Under the agreement, CREI will handle investment, construction, and operation of the generation facilities, while ERA will oversee transmission and offtake coordination.
“We are exceedingly bullish on the demand for low-carbon energy in Singapore,” Phuan said. “This utility-scale project is the first major step for ERA to turn that vision into real impact.”
CREI’s Singapore Country Manager Sun Jinfeng said the partnership combines CNNC’s global engineering capabilities with ERA’s regional experience. “This project will showcase the potential of large-scale solar and storage integration in Southeast Asia,” he said.
ERA, one of six firms granted conditional licenses by Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) to import renewable electricity, holds approval to deliver 400MWac via subsea cable from Indonesia.
Once fully operational, the project is projected to export 2,100GWh of clean power annually—enough to supply over 350,000 Singapore households and offset more than one million tonnes of CO₂ each year.
The initiative supports Singapore’s goal to import 6GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035 as part of its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
CREI, the renewable energy arm of CNNC, is part of China’s effort to expand its footprint in global clean energy markets. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China accounted for 40% of global renewable capacity additions in 2024. ***
