Ingenieur July-Sept 2016 Ingenieur July-Sept 2016 | Page 60

REPORT
INGENIEUR

REPORT

INGENIEUR

ASEAN PLAN OF ACTION FOR ENERGY CO-OPERATION 2016 – 2025

By Lim Tau Wee
When Malaysia hosted the ASEAN Summit in 2015 in Kuala Lumpur , the issue of connectivity was deliberated in depth for all areas and , in particular , for the infrastructure aspects involving highways , railways and ports , among others . Connected with this , the initiative towards co-operation on energy connectivity among ASEAN nations will be one step closer to the realization of the ASEAN Power Grid . The ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation ( APAEC ) kicked off this year coinciding with the official formation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2016 . APAEC is the product of collaborative work by all ASEAN Member States , the different sub-sector networks and specialised energy bodies together with the ASEAN Centre For Energy ( ACE ). It provides comprehensive documentation and details of action plans for the implementation of the APAEC .

Energy is key to the realisation of the ASEAN Economic Community ( AEC ), which calls for a well-connected ASEAN to drive an integrated , competitive and resilient region .

ASEAN is now one of the most dynamic and fastest growing economic regions in the world , and through the implementation of the AEC at the end of December 2015 , this growth is expected to continue . The region is projected to grow by at least 4 % per year on average over the next five years , but growth could be as high as 6 % provided ASEAN moves towards greater integration , where Member States continuously implement domestic structural reforms to raise their productivity and competitiveness under the framework of the AEC .
To fuel this growth , the demand for primary energy is expected to grow by an average of 4.7 % per year from 2013 to reach 1,685 Mtoe in 2035 , according to the ASEAN Centre for Energy ’ s ( ACE ) 4th ASEAN Energy Outlook ( AEO4 ). Addressing this growing demand for energy , which is driven by both economic and demographic growth , has been a challenge for ASEAN ahead of the AEC .
Against this backdrop , the 32 nd ASEAN Ministers Energy Meeting ( AMEM ) held on September 23 , 2014 in Vientiane , Lao PDR ,
58 VOL 67 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2016