Presentation by Dr Weerawat Chantanakome, Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Energy

Prospects for Renewable Energy in Asia and its Role in Energy Security: ASEAN Regional Perspectives

Dr Weerawat outlined the ASEAN perspectives for renewable and energy security. He explained that the ASEAN Energy Centre was established in 1999 as an inter-governmental organization guided by the Governing Council comprising of Senior Officials on Energy (SOE Leaders) of ASEAN countries. Funding was through the energy endowment fund, with equal contributions from all ASEAN members.

The ASEAN Vision 2020 aimed to establish Interconnecting Agreements in the field of energy utilities for electricity, natural gas and water within ASEAN through the ASEAN Power Grid and the TRANS-ASEAN Gas Pipeline, and to promote cooperation in coal trade, energy efficiency and conservation, as well as new and renewable energy sources. Dr Weerawat highlighted that the ASEAN Plan of Actions for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) for 2004–09 was to: (a) strengthen the coordination/participation in all programme areas to narrow the development gap amongst ASEAN members; (b) encourage a conducive environment for greater private sector involvement and participation; (c) enhance human resources and capacity-building skills; (d) develop and expand the energy mix and supply source through utilization of full energy potential of the region to include frontier natural gas, coal, hydropower, geothermal and renewables. In particular, to increase the share of renewables in ASEAN to at least 10 per cent of power generation; and (e) develop transparent, legal, regulatory, and technical frameworks in various energy projects, particularly the cross-border ASEAN Power Grid and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline.

The ASEAN Member countries have also adopted the Bogor Initiative for “Making Fuels a High Agenda” in March 2006, and would be organizing the 25th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Singapore in July 2007 to visualize a pathway towards Sustainable Energy Development and Security, Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy in the long term.