Norton Rose Fulbright appointed to develop ASEAN submarine power cable guidelines

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, together with Access Partnership and Lucetia Group, has been appointed by Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MIT) and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) to develop guidelines to facilitate submarine power cable activities across ASEAN.

The guidelines form part of ASEAN's commitment to establishing a regional Submarine Power Cable Development Framework, supporting the bloc's ambition to strengthen cross-border energy cooperation and harness energy infrastructure as a driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Working closely with MIT and EMA, alongside the ASEAN Centre for Energy, the consortium will bring together leading technical, legal, investment, geopolitical and institutional expertise to design a practical and implementable framework.

The guidelines will reference international law and globally recognised best practices, while being adapted to the diverse regulatory and institutional landscapes across ASEAN member states.

Norton Rose Fulbright is responsible for the legal and regulatory analysis, developing national, regional and international legal guidance to ensure the framework is fit for purpose across Southeast Asia.

The cross-border team working on this initiative includes Norton Rose Fulbright partners Shamim Razavi (Sydney) and Ben Carrozzi (Singapore) and senior associate Jeremiah Purba of TNB & Partners, Norton Rose Fulbright's associated firm in Jakarta.

Shamim Razavi commented:

"We are delighted to be involved in this important initiative. Drawing on international best practice and our own experience of navigating these legal frameworks for some of the world's most innovative renewable power projects and interconnects, we look forward to contributing constructively to the development of an actionable framework that is adapted to the needs of the ASEAN region and implementable across its diverse jurisdictions.

"We are also pleased to partner with Lucetia Group to deliver this work, having had extensive engagement with Lucetia's experts before in working on projects in the region together. By teaming up again, we look forward to leveraging our pre-exisiting work to develop the guidelines going forward."

The project will support the enhanced resilience of regional energy infrastructure and help establish the foundations for increased investment in submarine power cable development, enabling ASEAN to meet growing energy demand more efficiently while expanding access to renewable power for businesses and communities.

Notes to editors:

1. Access Partnership brings experience from comparable projects globally, combined with deep insight into ASEAN institutions and an established on-the-ground presence across Southeast Asia.
2. Lucetia Group leads the technical and strategic development of the guidelines, drawing on its specialist expertise in subsea cable infrastructure, energy policy and investment.