KUALA LUMPUR: The 43rd Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) highlighted Asean's ongoing progress towards building a connected energy future, with the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore (LTMS) Power Integration Project being recognised as a key success story.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said that the project, serving as a model for future regional energy cooperation, demonstrated Asean's efforts to strengthen energy connectivity, security, and sustainability. 
"One of the previews to the Asean Power Grid (APG) is LTMS, facilitating cross-border energy exports between countries. It currently links Thailand, Malaysia, and eventually Singapore. This will be renewed," he told reporters at the closing press conference of the 43rd AMEM and its associated meetings here on Friday (Oct 17).
Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, added that the project made significant progress, with Thailand expected to formalise its participation soon.
"During the meeting, it was agreed that Thailand had submitted a document confirming their intention to sign the agreement, expected by November. There was a delay due to changes in the Thai government, but we are hopeful the agreement will be concluded by November," he said.
Fadillah also mentioned that the LTMS project provides a viable business model that could be expanded to other Asean countries under the broader APG framework.
"This business model can be scaled to all Asean nations within the APG framework. Why is this important? Because currently, many people see Laos as the sole energy supplier to Singapore.
"The critical aspect of the APG is to ensure the security of supply, sustainability, and affordability of energy. This is where each country in Asean will assist one another," he said.
Fadillah further elaborated that the cross-border electricity trading arrangement allows Asean members to support each other during times of peak demand or low generation.
"There are instances when Laos may not be able to supply energy to Singapore because, during winter, their hydro plants may not operate at full capacity.
"At such times, Malaysia may provide an additional 200 or 100 megawatts to Singapore. Similarly, when Malaysia faces a shortage, it can draw energy from Singapore or Thailand. This is how we support each other," he added.
As chair of AMEM this year, Malaysia led discussions that resulted in the successful completion of eight Asean Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs), marking significant progress in regional energy cooperation.
The deliverables included the signing of the Asean Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Petroleum Security (APOMS) and the finalisation of the Asean Renewable Energy Long-Term Roadmap, which serves as a strategy for sustainable energy development in the region.
Other achievements included the launch of the Asean Policy Financing Facility on Oct 15, a collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank to support cross-border grid investments, and the completion of the Asean Nuclear Energy Readiness Framework to strengthen regional preparedness for civilian nuclear energy use.
Fadillah noted that the Philippines, as the next chair of AMEM, will continue to implement the regional energy cooperation agenda and initiatives approved at the 43rd AMEM.
At the same time, the deputy prime minister informed the media that Asean will review the progress of its energy cooperation initiatives next year, taking into account Timor-Leste's development needs.
"Asean energy ministers will meet twice next year, in June and October, to assess the progress and address areas requiring improvement.
"We will report on the achievements based on the plan we've outlined, what has been accomplished, what remains to be done, and how we can improve to ensure that the commitments made on Friday (Oct 17) are realised next year," he added.
Fadillah also mentioned that Timor-Leste, which attended the AMEM meeting, had presented its strengths and energy development needs, which will be considered in Asean's future energy cooperation plans. – Bernama
