Bali, 25 August 2023 – ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and The Energy Foundation China (EFC) have joined hands in a significant partnership to accelerate energy transition and ensure energy security within the ASEAN region.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE and Dr Zou Ji, CEO of The Energy Foundation China took place on 25 August 2023, during the 41st ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM-41) held in Bali, Indonesia, coinciding with the ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF) 2023.

In the words of Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE underscored the significance of this partnership, emphasising its potential to drive a cleaner and more sustainable energy future for the ASEAN region. He emphasised, ”By joining hands, we are poised to harness our shared expertise and resources, reaffirming our commitment to energy cooperation.”

In light of the evolving energy landscape, ACE and EFC perceive an opportune moment for deeper collaboration. Their combined efforts are dedicated to ensuring energy security, reliability, and affordability for the ASEAN region. A central tenet of their partnership is the mutual goal of facilitating the objectives of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC). It also aligns seamlessly with Joint Ministerial Declarations, that emphasise the importance of energy transition, enhanced resilience, innovation, and cooperation.

Dr Zou Ji, CEO of The Energy Foundation China said, “With 24 years of experience working in China and in-depth knowledge on the economy-energy-environment nexus, EFC endeavours to achieve prosperity and a safe climate through sustainable energy development. Under this agreement, EFC and ACE will work together to support driving clean energy goals and strengthening climate actions in ASEAN countries and China. We will collaborate with the key stakeholders in the region to boost the low carbon energy investment, promote green economic growth and achieve the just transition by enhancing the policy coordination, facilitating Track-II dialogues and strengthening the industrial cooperation among ASEAN countries and China.”

This MoU serves as a resounding affirmation of the significance of energy transition, heightened resilience, innovation, and collaborative endeavours. It also signifies the initiation of a collective journey that holds the potential to make substantial contributions to the region. As ACE and EFC embark on this collaborative pathway, their shared focus on clean energy transition and energy security is poised to lead the ASEAN community towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

About ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE)

Established on 1 January 1999, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is an intergovernmental organisation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) structure that represents the 10 ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) interests in the energy sector. ACE supports the implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), a blueprint for better collaboration towards upgrading energy. The Centre is guided by a Governing Council composed of Senior Officials on Energy from each AMS and a representative from the ASEAN Secretariat as an ex-officio member.

The three key roles of the ACE:

• As an ASEAN energy think tank to assist the AMS by identifying and surfacing innovative solutions for ASEAN’s energy challenges on policies, legal & regulatory frameworks and technologies.
• As a catalyst to unify and strengthen ASEAN energy cooperation and integration by implementing relevant capacity building programmes and projects to assist the AMS develop their energy sector.
• As the ASEAN energy data centre and knowledge hub to provide a knowledge repository for the AMS.

Keeping the region’s improvement, sustainable and harmless to the ecosystem is a fundamental concern of the ASEAN energy sector.

Hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, ACE’s office is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Media contact:

• Rinda Rufaidah, Communications Officer: [email protected]