The Twelfth ASEAN+3 New and Renewable Energy (NRE) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) Forum was held on 29 January 2016 in Osaka, Japan. The Forum was attended by around 30 participants from ASEAN Member States as well as Japan and Korea under the ASEAN+3 Cooperation.

Opened by Mr. Katsushi Takehiro, the Senior Officials on Energy (SOE) Leader of Japan and by Ms. Badariah Yosiyana from the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), the Forum discussed the progress of ASEAN+3 Mitigation Cooperation Programme, updates on Japan Cooperation for NRE and EE&C, information sharing on the progress of smart grid programmes of Japan and Korea, as well as progress on NRE and EE&C in the ASEAN+3 countries, including their work programmes for 2015-2016.  The Forum agreed that in order to achieve the targets set in the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025 (23% of RE in the energy mix by 2025 and 20% of energy intensity reduction by 2020 from 2005), it is important that the countries involved continue and strengthen the cooperation with dialogue partners and international organisations under ASEAN+3 on NRE and EE&C.

Prior to the Forum, on 28 January 2016, all participants had a chance to visit the Sakai City Clean Centre Higashi and Iwasaki Smart Energy Network. The Sakai City Clean Centre Higashi is a waste-to-energy facility that converts municipal solid waste to electricity and heat. The surplus electricity is sold to the grid. Iwasaki Smart Energy Network utilizes a state-of-the-art technology as well as a large quantity of RE and unused energy in separate energy systems.  The Network also uses information and telecommunication technologies for the optimal control of energy supply and demand. (BY)

Sakai City Clean Energy Centre. Credit: ACE