ASEAN plans to pilot regional grid interconnection to transmit green electricity in 2022

At the International Energy Week meeting in Singapore this week, Southeast Asian countries are accelerating plans to transmit renewable energy through the proposed regional grid in an effort to meet climate change goals, with pilot projects scheduled for 2022
.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, has proposed to achieve 23% of primary energy from renewable sources
by 2025.
In addition, some ASEAN members are exploring carbon capture storage technologies to reduce emissions
.

International renewable?? Gauri Singh, Deputy Director General of the Energy Agency (IRENA), said: "We have heard some very positive news
about renewable energy investment.
ASEAN does want to absorb nearly a quarter of its energy
from renewable sources by 2025.
This is a very ambitious goal that they have set for themselves, but I think international cooperation and regional cooperation will play a very important role
.
”

Singapore will begin importing renewable electricity from Malaysia in 2022, and later in the same year, ASEAN utilities will begin transmitting the first 100 MW of electricity under the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project as part of
a regional grid project.

The ASEAN Power Grid, first proposed in 1999 with the aim of enhancing regional energy security, will now promote renewable energy power transmission
.
Australia also plans to export its green energy supplies
to Singapore.

"With the power sector accounting for nearly a quarter of global emissions, decarbonizing power generation is at the heart of global climate change efforts," Singapore's Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said
in his speech.

Singapore, which relies on natural gas for almost all of its power generation, plans to import up to 4 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035, or about 30%
of its total supply.

Singapore's Sunseap Group and Sembcorp Industries SCIL.
SI and Indonesia's PLN Batam and PT Trisurya Mitra Bersama (Suryagen) signed agreements
for new solar projects this week.

Nonetheless, many ASEAN countries must address their dependence on fossil fuels in their power generation mixes to meet their climate goals
.

Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Arifin Tasrif, said carbon capture storage could be the solution
to reducing emissions for countries that still rely heavily on coal for power generation.

"The ASEAN region is still dependent on coal power in some respects.
.
.
This scenario must be carefully considered when setting our path to carbon neutrality, and significant efforts should be made," Tasrif said
.

Carbon capture technology is important to Indonesia's strategy to achieve its net-zero targets, which the country will begin using in
2030.
ExxonMobil Corp.
XOM.
N is establishing CCS centers in Asia and has begun negotiations
with countries on potential storage options for carbon dioxide.

To be sure, the region still needs further regulation and large-scale investment to upgrade and connect cross-border power grids
.
ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Ngoc Fai said ASEAN will need at least $367 billion over the next five years to fund
its energy targets.
ASEAN needs to improve its investment climate and expand its current sources of financing to meet its energy transition goals
.