Photo 1. APAEC Post 2025 Consultation Workshop Participants 

The APAEC Post–2025 Consultation Workshop, as part of the 14th Nuclear Energy Cooperation Sub–Sector Network (NEC – SSN) associated meeting, was convened in Taguig, the Philippines on the 28 May 2024.  Eight (8) AMS – Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, along with the representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security/ Japan Atomic Energy Agency (ISCN/JAEA), Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership India (CGNEP), World Nuclear Association (WNA). The Meeting gathered to embark and consult on the future directions, strategies, and action plans for ASEAN energy cooperation under the new Civilian Nuclear Energy (CNE) Programme Area for ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Post 2025, through an interactive survey and roundtable discussion with the NEC-SSN. 

28 May 2024 – ASEAN Workshop on Nuclear Technology Trends and Policies in the Low-carbon Future for Embarking Countries 

Photo 2. (left-right) Opening Remarks by Chair of the 14th NEC-SSN Associated Meeting, Sharon S. Garin Undersecretary and Nuclear Energy Programme Coordinating Council (NEP-CC) Chair, Department of Energy Philippines, Chair of NEC-SSN, and Christopher G. Zamora, Senior Head at ACE

The day commenced with welcoming remarks from Sharon S. Garin, Undersecretary and Nuclear Energy Programme Coordinating Council (NEP-CC) Chair, Department of Energy Philippines, Chair of NEC-SSN, and Christopher G. Zamora, Senior Head of APAEC Department at ACE, welcomed all participants from Dialogue Partners (DPs), International Organisations (IOs) and extended gratitude to NEC-SSN focal points of each ASEAN Member States on behalf of Dr. Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE. He set the tone for the day’s consultations by highlighting the importance of nuclear energy in the APAEC Phase II: 2021-2025 and stressed the need for a collaborative approach to address associated challenges in public engagement and regulatory frameworks. 

Photo 3. Rizky Aditya Putra, Senior Officer of APAEC at ACE (left) and Dr. Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Head of ACE (right) as presenters  

During the morning session, the representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) and the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) presented the key directions of APAEC Post-2025 and Progress of the APAEC Phase II: 2021-2025. The speakers were Indra Wahyudin, Officer of Energy & Minerals Division (EMD) at ASEAN Secretariat, Dr. Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Head of ACE, Rizky Aditya Putra, Senior Officer of APAEC Department at ACE. 

The session was followed by a presentation from Dialogue Partners (DPs) and International Organisations (IOs) on their insights and recommendations for ASEAN CNE-related Cooperation Plans Post 2025 and Consultation Session. Department of Atomic Energy of India (DAE), Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), World Nuclear Association (WNA), were the list of DPs and IOs invited to the meeting. 

Photo 4. Aldilla Noor Rakhiemah, Senior Analyst of PFS at ACE, as presenters  

In the afternoon, the meeting focused more on consultation with AMS on the proposed theme of APAEC, priorities, strategies and action plans under the CNE Programme Area. Before the discussion with AMS, ACE and the ASEAN Secretariat delivered a presentation to provide an overview of the high-level directions post-2025 and the proposed theme and key priorities of CNE Post 2025. The speakers were Rizky Aditya Putra, Senior Officer of APAEC at ACE, Indra Wahyudin, Officer of EMD at ASEAN Secretariat and Rully Hidayatullah, Associate Senior Research Analyst on Nuclear at ACE. The main discussion session was led by Aldilla Noor Rakhiemah, Senior Analyst of PFS at ACE using an online survey tool. The representatives from each AMS actively participated in the discussion and shared their insights and expected priority under APAEC for nuclear energy cooperation beyond 2025. 

Rizky Aditya Putra, Senior Officer of APAEC at ACE wrapped up the meeting and shared the way forward and timeline of the APAEC Post-2025 consultation workshop. The meeting generated fruitful recommendations and outcomes, offering valuable insights and inputs to develop the new APAEC 2026-2030 towards a more sustainable, resilient, and integrated energy future, aligned with ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Plans. 

29 May 2024 – 14th Nuclear Energy Cooperation – Sub Sector Network (NEC – SSN) Meeting 

Photo 5. Head of Delegates Group Photo 

The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) co-organised the 14th Nuclear Energy Cooperation – Sub Sector Network (NEC-SSN) Meeting, hosted by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Philippines. The 14th NEC-SSN meeting, held on 29 May 2024, concluded a series of meetings convened from 27-29 May 2024 at the Shangri-La The Fort, Metro Manila, Philippines.  

Brought together representatives from the ASEAN Member States (AMS), invited Dialogue Partners (DPs) and International Organisations (IOs), ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), and ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), the meeting aimed to review the current initiatives of nuclear energy, progress under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase II: 2021 – 2025 for Programme Area No. 7: Civilian Nuclear Energy (CNE) are essential for collective vision of the sustainable and low carbon future in ASEAN. 

Photo 6. Chair of the 14th NEC-SSN Meeting, Sharon S. Garin, Undersecretary and Nuclear Energy Programme Coordinating Council (NEP-CC) Chair, Department of Energy Philippines, and Chair of NEC-SSN (left) and Christopher G. Zamora, Senior Head at ACE (right) 

The meeting commenced with a welcoming remark delivered by Felix William B. Fuentebella, Undersecretary Department of Energy Philippines and SOE Leader of the Philippines as the host country. Sharon S. Garin, Undersecretary and Nuclear Energy Programme Coordinating Council (NEP-CC) Chair, Department of Energy Philippines, and Chair of NEC-SSN and Christoper G. Zamora, Senior Manager of ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Department of ACE delivered the opening statements.  

During the morning session, the NEC-SSN Chair presented the annual milestones and progress of APAEC Phase II: 2021-2025 on the status of CNE remaining activities, with ACE representatives providing critical updates and facilitating discussions on the outcomes of the initiatives and adopting the recommendations on the status of CNE priorities plan for 2024-2025. 

The invited IOs and DPs from the Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) joined the morning meeting to share the updated progress and plans on the ongoing collaboration activities with ASEAN, including the output of the ASEAN Workshop on Nuclear Technology Trends and Policy in the Low-carbon Future for Embarking Countries.  

In the afternoon, the representative of ACE aimed to review the outcome-based strategies and annual priorities on the development of CNE under the 8th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO8) and ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC).  

Photo 7. (left-right) Marcel Nicky Arianto, Associate Research Analyst at ACE, Rizky Aditya Putra, Senior Officer of APAEC, and Rully Hidayatullah, Associate Senior Research Analyst at ACE, as the presenters 

Marcel Nicky Arianto, Associate Research Analyst of PFS at ACE presented the content of ASEAN Energy Booklet Volume 2: Nuclear Energy Development, highlighting the nuclear development process from the ASEAN Member States, the status of the AMS nuclear energy policy, challenges, key drivers, and future directions in the nuclear energy implementation within ASEAN. Rully Hidayatullah, Associate Senior Research Analyst on Nuclear at ACE also presented an overview of the study of 3S (Safety, Security, and Safeguard).  

Photo 8. Rizky Aditya Putra, Senior Officer of APAEC (left) and Dr. Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Head of ACE (right) as the presenters 

The following agenda of the afternoon meeting aimed to discuss the updates of the ACE-WNA Study: Towards Stakeholder Involvement in ASEAN: Survey on Knowledge and Willingness to Accept Nuclear Power Plan. The meeting concluded with a wrap-up and way forward discussions, ensuring the crucial role in steering ASEAN’s nuclear energy policies and ensuring a collaborative approach towards a low-carbon future were clearly outlined and agreed upon by all participants led by Rizky Aditya Putra, Senior Officer of APAEC Department at ACE and Dr. Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Head of ACE. 

Sharon S. Garin, Undersecretary and Nuclear Energy Programme Coordinating Council (NEP-CC) Chair, Department of Energy Philippines, and Chair of NEC-SSN delivered the closing statement to wrap up the meeting.