Jakarta, 19 December 2023 – In a significant stride towards a more sustainable and interconnected energy future, ASEAN has officially launched the ASEAN Power Grid Advancement Programme (APG-AP). This initiative was spearheaded by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) in collaboration with the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP-UNOPS) and Clean, Affordable and Secure Energy (CASE) for Southeast Asia to support the acceleration of the ASEAN Power Grid.

The official launch was marked by a Kick-off Meeting held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 29 November 2023, alongside the ASEAN Power Grid Meeting Series. The meeting series emphasised collaboration and shared insights not only among the ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat but also Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA), ASEAN Energy Regulator’ Network (AERN), and ASEAN Power Grid Consultative Committee (APGCC), and ASEAN’s partners.

The meeting highlighted the significance of the 41^st ASEAN Ministers of Energy Meeting (AMEM-41) in advancing the development of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and multilateral power trade. The APG-AP  will mainly support the APG in advancing multilateral power trade implementation through the development of a step-wise plan, several analytical works under the ASEAN Interconnection Masterplan Studies, and a pathfinder project initiation. Furthermore, the program will also support the renewal of the APG Memorandum of Understanding as the key legal foundation for the ASEAN member states to realize APG

The APG is one of the key strategic regional infrastructure projects under the ASEAN Vision and the ASEAN Economic Community towards regional connectivity and market integration in the region. The APG MoU was signed in 2007 and taken into force in 2009, with 15 years of validity until March 2024. The ASEAN Member States have agreed to extend the current MoU until 2025 while working on the successor agreement.

The collaboration between ACE-ETP-CASE was initiated on the side-lines of the AMEM-41and the ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF) 2023, solidified with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU provides a framework for joint efforts and the expedited integration of cross-border electricity trade through the APG aligned with the ASEAN Interconnection Master Plan (AIMS) III Study.

Dr. Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE, expressed enthusiasm about the progress, stated, “The ASEAN Power Grid Advancement Programme signifies a step in our collective journey towards reshaping the energy landscape in the region. By fostering collaboration and prioritising renewable energy, we are charting a course towards ASEAN’s more resilient energy future.”

Philip Timonthy Rose, Fund Director of Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), stated, “The implementation of the ASEAN Power Grid is a critical juncture for the region to transition towards a low carbon energy system while ensuring energy security. ETP remains committed to supporting the acceleration of this process through the critical work we do under the APG-AP.”

Sascha Oppowa, Project Director of CASE for Southeast Asia, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), added, “The APG is the backbone for cross-border cooperation of power systems and greater integration of renewable energies in ASEAN. CASE is committed to supporting ACE in this ambitious endeavour together with our partners in the APG-AP as well as like-minded stakeholders.”

As part of the outputs, the APG-AP will examine the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Interconnection Project (LTMS-PIP) as the pathfinder and first multilateral cross-border electricity trade in ASEAN to identify the lessons learned for other upcoming multilateral power trading opportunities in the region.

The APG-AP provides a platform to foster progress and responds to the momentum of APG as a regional and national priority of ASEAN countries. In light of such a commitment, Malaysia recently launched its Sustainable Energy Development Prospectus at COP28 UAE that reinforces its strategic intent for the APG to advance its just energy transition.

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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. For more information, visit ACE official website: aseanenergy.org.

About Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE)

The Project “Clean, Affordable and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia” (CASE) is jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and international and local expert organisations in the area of sustainable energy transformation and climate change. At regional level, these are Agora Energiewende and NewClimate Institute.

Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), CASE aims to support a narrative change in the region’s power sector towards an evidence-based energy transition, in the pursuit of the Paris Agreement goals. The project makes use of available research initiatives while generating new evidence grounded in local realities that can influence economic managers, power sector decision makers, industry leaders and electricity consumers to support early, speedy, and responsive strategic reforms in the power sector. To reach this objective, the project applies a joint fact-finding approach involving expert analysis and dialogue to work towards consensus by converging areas of disagreement. Read more: caseforsea.org.

About Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP)

 The Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) is a multi-donor partnership formed by governmental and philanthropic partners to accelerate sustainable energy transition in Southeast Asia in line with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. ETP is managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and combines the best of the public and private sectors with the UN to help mobilize and coordinate technical and financial resources to build the foundations for renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable resilient infrastructures. ETP empowers its partner countries – Indonesia, Viet Nam, and the Philippines to transition towards a sustainable energy system, generate economic growth and ensure energy security. Read more: www.energytransitionpartnership.org.

For all media inquiries, please contact:

Rinda Rufaidah, Communications Specialist, ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), [email protected]

Sheshadri Kottearachchi, Senior Communications Officer, Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership, United Nations Office for Project Services, [email protected]

Maximilian Heil, Project Coordinator, CASE, GIZ, [email protected]