SIEW Thinktank Roundtable: Exploring Renewable Energy and Grid Integration – Insights from China and ASEAN

China and ASEAN unite to tackle challenges of renewable energy and grid integration for energy security and innovation.

Renewable energy and grid integrations are a pertinent concern impacting all Asian economies, including China and ASEAN. Both share common goals revolving around ensuring energy sufficiency, enhancing energy security, and fostering innovation to meet development needs.

Here are some key insights from the SIEW Thinktank Roundtable on " New Type of Power System Enabling a highly Efficient, Safe and Low-Carbon Energy Future – Insights from China and ASEAN": 

1. New power capacity investment and grid planning has to be prioritised for the decade ahead.

   Dr Tharinya Supasa, Project Lead Southeast Asia Energy Policy at Agora Energiewende, highlighted that ASEAN is positioned to become a fast-growing global economic force in the upcoming decades. To achieve national economic development goals and international net zero targets, the integration of renewable energy into the grid must be significantly enhanced, he said, adding that it is a crucial step for regional progress.

2. Energy is intertwined with development economics

   In the panel discussion that followed, experts delved into the immediate applications and challenges to implementing various technological and economic mechanisms.  

   Fabby Tumiwa, Executive Director at the Institute for Essential Services, emphasised how countries such as the Philippines and Singapore have made strategic investments into battery energy storage solutions (BESS) to improve grid power supply. These technological innovations are key to enhancing energy flexibility in the power system.

   In discussing transmission and development (T&D) technologies and tariff pricing, Zhang Muzi, Secretary General, Ecosystem Study Commission for International River (ESCIR), noted that energy generation and energy markets are highly diversified. She emphasised that electricity can be classified as a private good or a public good, depending on the economic model or political imperative of a specific state or country. Achieving a unified power grid is an ongoing process that requires regulatory reforms and partnerships involving public institutions and private-sector players.

3. China and ASEAN: bridging the energy transition and economic growth

   In concluding remarks, Professor Kevin Tu, Director, Agora China, offered pertinent reflections on the intertwined complexities in our globalised world today. He noted that "against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions, international climate collaboration is facing political tailwinds among the top five carbon dioxide-emitting economies".

   Professor Tu also emphasised that China, often characterised as the world's first hybrid superpower, is "well-positioned to bridge the development and international collaboration gaps between advanced economies and developing countries". This role will be pivotal in navigating the complex path of the global energy transition while meeting the energy needs necessary for economic growth.

Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram to get the latest updates.