With the closure of the “ASEAN Energy Sector Methane Leadership Program (MLP) Workshop 1.0”, the 18-month initiative organised by USAID Southeast Asia Smart Power Program (SPP) in collaboration with the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE), the region continues to propel methane emissions abatement in the region’s energy sector with the debut of MLP 2.0.   

“This program has been an incredible journey and is a great example of USAID’s commitment to a clean energy future that is regionally led. By working with leaders like the ASEAN Council on Petroleum and the ASEAN Centre for Energy, we are aligning our efforts with regional institutions that understand what is needed and that have the expertise to develop tailored solutions”, said Linda McElroy, Deputy Mission Director, USAID Regional Development Mission Asia (RDMA).  

In the first phase of MLP, around 300 participants across 15 countries were trained in acquiring essential knowledge and resources through workshops and masterclasses covering methane emissions measurement, monitoring, reporting, verification technologies, reduction strategies, and development and financing project proposals from various prominent speakers.  

Now with the MLP members growing from 13 to 181 and under the theme of “Turning Capacity into Action”, MLP 2.0 will enable its public and private sector partners to understand, plan, and implement methane mitigation actions, policies, and projects in support of the Global Methane Pledge from the entire abatement value chain. 

The Launch Ceremony of MLP 2.0 was conducted on 3 October 2024 in Petronas Leadership Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, witnessed by Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS; Henricus Herwin, Senior Vice President, Strategy & Investment of PT Pertamina (Persero); Thanasit Vichaipairojwong, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy Division at PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP); Dr. Tran Hong Nam, President & CEO of PetroVietnam Exploration Production (PVEP) and Secretary-in-Charge of ASCOPE; Daito Michio, President of Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC); Beni Suryadi, Acting Executive Director of ACE; Linda McElroy, Deputy Mission Director of USAID RDMA- among others. 

Photo credit: PETRONAS 

The Ceremony was followed by a Technical Workshop on the following day, discussing updates on new methane abatement initiatives including ACE and The World Bank Group’s MAESTRO Dashboard, ASEAN Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Centre (ASEAN METEC) by PETRONAS and INSTEP, Methane Emissions Management Research and Development by Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Introduction of the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter, and a technology exhibition and demonstration session by Aeromon, SLB, and  SeekOps. 

Photo credit: PETRONAS 

The MLP 2.0 will be divided into three tracks:  

• Track 1: Methane in Action- builds on the capacity building in MLP 1.0 to implement practices and operations that lead to direct emissions reduction. Activities include helping O&G companies to refine project proposals, adopt technologies, and access finance through finance clinics. 

• Track 2: Cross Cutting Activities – feature innovative tools, events, and activities that will support the O&G sector to better manage methane emissions. Activities include collaboration of the proposed ASEAN Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Center (METEC), site visits, technology displays, etc. 

• Track 3: Capacity Building – continuation of masterclass trainings under MLP 1.0 by information and knowledge sharing about leading practices in methane abatement and providing members with interactive exercises. 

By turning capacity into action, it is envisaged that greater methane emissions abatement results in the region’s energy sector will be enabled, resulting in a more secure whilst sustainable energy system. 

Document Kits from the MLP 2.0 Launching Ceremony can be accessed here: MLP 2.0 Launching Ceremony Document Kits