ASEAN PLAN OF ACTION FOR ENERGY COOPERATION

Under the APAEC there is institutional arrangement which helps ACE to establish the working mechanism with the 10 member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

This arrangement is as follows:

The ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting provides overall guidance and advice on the implementation of the APAEC, as well as guidance to address key issues, challenges and concerns of common interest and to set policy directions.

The Senior Officials Meeting on Energy

(SOME) collectively determines key priorities and provides directions and advice on the APAEC to ensure coordination, and integration of strategies and actions.

The relevant sub-sector networks and specialised energy bodies, namely; Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA), ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE), ASEAN Forum on Coal (AFOC), Energy Efficiency and Conservation sub-sector Network (EE&C-SSN), Renewable energy sub-sector Network (Re-SSN), Regional energy Policy and Planning subsector Network (REPP-SSN) and Nuclear energy Cooperation sub-sector Network (NEC-SSN) shall serve as the SOME implementing arms in their respective programme areas.

ACE, with support of ASEAN Secretariat, shall assist SOME, sub-sector networks and specialised energy bodies in carrying out the above responsibilities, including technical support and assistance in the supervision, coordination and review of the cooperation programmes and activities of APAEC.

A sustainable standpoint

‘Enhancing Energy Connectivity and Market Integration in ASEAN to Achieve Energy Security, Accessibility, Affordability and Sustainability for

All’ is the theme of the 2016-2025 APAEC, directing much of ACE’s recent attentions towards the renewable and sustainability segment.

“The seven plans that we have ongoing are very much geared towards this,” explains Zamora. “For example, we have an aspirational target that 23 percent of ASEAN’s energy will be of renewable origin by 2020, and that there will equally be a 20 percent reduction in energy intensity.

“We ecourage all stakeholders to adopt cleaner coal technologies, since ASEAN still has abundant sources of coal while electrification rates are still very low in some areas.

“Further, ACE also continues to assist member states in their adoption of best practices in other ways such as the ASEAN Energy Awards, a ceremony for institutions and organisations alike which have already implemented the best practices in the energy sector.”

Working tirelessly towards achieving the targets laid out in the APAEC blueprint, ACE works extensively with each of the 10 member states, regardless of any differentiation in their economic development, GDP per capita, energy resources, energy production and energy ergy consumption levels.

“We emphasise the importance of regionality in order r to achieve energy security, accessibility, ity, affordability and sustainability,”

Zamora adds, “and d in regard to regionality, ty,

ACE ensures that energy activities will provide benefits and nd opportunities to all l

ASEAN members.” ”

Exploiting the opportunities

Looking to the future, ACE will continue to help deploy and integrate successful strategies and solutions across the region, driven by an increasing need for Southeast Asia to adapt and prepare for the impending acceleration of the fourth industrial revolution.

“At the 30th ASEAN Summit on April 29, 2017 in Manila, regional leaders recognised the need for ASEAN to maximise new opportunities in technology and innovation, human capital, regulatory frameworks, infrastructure and connectivity, as well as inclusive and sustainable growth,” Zamora reveals.

“Thus, besides our alignment with the APAEC blueprint, digitalisation will undoubtedly become a major factor in our future predictions and forecast of ASEAN’s energy sector.”

Combined with influx of differentiated and effective industry technologies, the centre has also identified that the renewable energy segment is beginning to strive in the region. The likes of Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, for example, are increasingly leveraging the power of solar photovoltaic energy, while Indonesia is expected to develop more wind turbines in the coming years.

These t things in mind, it seems renewabl renewable energy, alongside technolog technology, may be crucial in allowing ACE to achieve ac its expansive APAEC goals in th the next six years.

Zamora concludes: “The full potential of ASEAN’s renewable energy is still untapped, so there are a lot of opportunities opp to accelerate the impleme implementation of such solutions, makin making the renewable energy indus industries key to ASEAN energy secto sector’s development.

“In my eyes, this will be the rising star of the future.”

“The full potential of ASEAN’s renewable energy is still untapped, so there are a lot of opportunities to accelerate the implementation of such solutions”