Southeast Asia's Clean Energy Transition

A wide investment shortfall and weak archipelagic grids hinder efforts to deliver nonstop carbon-free power, particularly for data centres and other industries that need round-the-clock clean electricity, said nonprofit Global Renewables Alliance.

The United States-led partnership, that aims to position the country as a strategic hub for critical minerals, must embed climate justice, gender equity and community participation from the outset to ensure a just energy transition, warn women advocates.

The temporary suspension of activities leading up to the country’s first offshore wind auction is an extra move to make the market more investable, according to the Global Wind Energy Council and the Wind Energy Developers Association of the Philippines, amid concerns over high capital risks.

The Philippines has lined up tens of gigawatts of offshore wind projects on in service contracts, is preparing to auction 3,300 megawatts more, and already has 178 megawatts in early development – strong signs of growing interest. How much of this will actually get built, however, is uncertain amid social implications, high costs, geopolitical tensions, and the unclear role of Chinese players.

Mismatched financing tenures, risk premiums and the demand profiles of data centre operators are among the many concerns of the country’s solar power providers.

The Philippines saw a 170 per cent surge in weekly installations while Thailand’s demand for solar training increased three times following the energy crisis that started in late February. But workforce systems and stronger local networks are needed to allow the industry to scale sustainably, says clean energy proponents.

Despite Southeast Asia being a major driver of global power demand, its biggest utilities are not neutral grid operators. They also buy and sell electricity, favouring new infrastructure and their own supply over small players like rooftop solar, according to an analysis by Agora Energiewende.

Ahead of the first ever international conference aimed to develop a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, advocates urge Southeast Asian countries to meet their own power and fuel needs through domestic renewables.

Exclusive Sweet sorghum plantations are to be grown on depleted mining sites in Bintan, a historical hub for bauxite extraction. Sweet sorghum can used as biofuel, feedstock for bioethanol and as green naphtha, a key ingredent for plastics in short supply as a result of the Iran War.

Government must call on development finance institutions to tap on risk management tools to make the capital-intensive technology more investible, Global Wind Energy Council’s Ann Margret Francisco tells the EB Podcast.

On recent visits to Japan and South Korea, Indonesian president Prabowo touted ambitious renewable energy plans in pursuit of energy security. Analysts say that the slow take-up of clean energy by state utility firm PLN still needs to be addressed.

As oil and gas firms reap windfall profits from wartime price spikes, regional climate advocates urge governments to tax gains and channel the funds into renewables and grid upgrades to secure Asia’s energy future.