ASEAN energy ministers gear up for ASEAN power grid

SINGAPORE, Aug 24 (TNA) – To battle the global energy price crisis, Southeast Asian energy ministers have agreed to form a regional ASEAN power grid and to work closely with the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to keep costs manageable.

Speaking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Energy Ministers’ Conference here, Thai Minister of Energy Piyasvasti Amaranand said the meeting endorsed a memorandum of understanding for a regional power network.
This network, known as the ASEAN Grid, will serve as a platform for members to trade electricity under a set of harmonised technical rules and regulations. This is part of the efforts to address the challenge of rising global oil prices.

According to Mr. Piyasvasti, ASEAN will also set up a working group to study the safety issue of nuclear energy plants, which may form part of long-term energy planning for individual countries.

To reduce the use of fossil fuel, ASEAN countries have also pledged to strengthen a regional partnership to achieve the target of 10 per cent renewable energy use by 2010.

ETNA