South-East Asia powers ahead on path to energy security; Asean chair Laos says move is best forward

One of the many hydropower plants that have been built on Lao rivers. - Image from Vientiane Times/ANN

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): South East-Asian’s energy authorities are engaged in a concerted effort to achieve energy security in the regional power grid, with this and other matters relating to energy development tabled for discussion at the 43rd Asean Ministers on Energy meeting in Laos.

The Asean Energy Senior Officials Special Meeting held recently in Luang Prabang, Laos, reported on the implementation of work carried out in 2023 and outlined work planned for this year under Phase II of the Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation from 2016-2025, to prepare for the Asean Energy Senior Officials Meeting in June.

The meeting agreed on eight priority plans for this year, including making substantive progress in finalising the successor agreement on the Asean power grid and multilateral power trade in the region.

Meeting participants also agreed to make substantive progress in finalising the text of the new or successor agreement in relation to the Asean Petroleum Security Agreement.

They will also sign a protocol to amend the Trans-Asean Gas Pipeline Memorandum of Understanding, and enhance regional policies and regulations to support operations in the power and carbon-intensive sectors.

Another priority is to meet the goals in the first year of a roadmap that focuses on specific renewable energy technologies and sources.

Asean authorities will also initiate the “Industry development of energy performance benchmarks and guidelines for industry” and the 8th Asean Energy Outlook to enhance monitoring of the Asean Power Grid Interconnectors Project.

The meeting also adopted a report on seven sub-tasks that were carried out in 2023 under the Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation plan for 2021-2025.

It was noted that 33.4 per cent of work in relation to renewable energy had been fulfilled, while 24.5 per cent of work needed to help promote and save energy had been undertaken.

The meeting also presented a draft post-2025 Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation, which specified the work that must be carried out to fulfil the goals of the seven sub-tasks to be completed in 2025, which are among the overall objectives of Asean Community building.

Laos currently has energy links with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, some other Asean member countries, and China, which serve to enhance regional energy security and believes the move is the bst for the future of the region.

One of these is the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia power integration project, under which Laos sells electricity to Malaysia through the Thai transmission system.

Installation of the 300MW power integration project was completed in 2021 and now transmits 32,863,055 kWh of energy, worth more than US$2.1 million. - Vientiane Times/ANN