China is set to sign up next year to an updated version of a bilateral free-trade agreement with Southeast Asian nations, consolidating its role in the region by enhancing trade, new energy cooperation and supply chain connectivity. After a meeting on the sidelines of an Asean regional forum in Laos on October 10, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations announced the “substantial conclusion” of Version 3.0 of their free-trade agreement, following nearly two years of negotiations.

Cambodia plans to boost its capacity to import clean power from neighbouring Laos, Vietnam and Thailand by more than 600 megawatts, its energy minister told Reuters, a more than 50% uplift to currently agreed deals. Keo Rottanak said the move highlighted the potential for boosting interconnection in southeast Asia, and said it provided more options to diversify power supply amid rising volatility in hydropower output due to weather-related disruptions.

Vietnam will amend its national power development plan, known as PDP8, to include options for nuclear energy and hydrogen, the Minister of Industry and Trade said on Monday (Oct 21). The PDP8 will be amended in a way to also add more renewables to the mix, including solar and wind, Nguyen Hong Dien told the National Assembly at a meeting in Hanoi.

Some countries in Southeast Asia have long adopted renewable energy produced from natural sources such as wind and solar, but the level of deployment is nowhere near that of other regions. As the region seeks to satiate its rising demand for energy in a sustainable way, nuclear could remain an option, experts say.tAUF

Turkey will need $108 billion of public and private investment as it aims to quadruple its wind and solar energy power capacity to 120,000 MW by 2035, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Monday. Speaking at an event to announce Turkey's roadmap in the field of renewable energy, Bayraktar said this year's first renewable energy resource area tender conditions will be announced next week. The energy ministry is working on changes to current regulations for renewable energy investments and to encourage the private sector to participate more, Bayraktar said.

Chinese scientists have created an energy generator that uses transpiration, the process of water moving through a plant, to create electricity. The generator can transform almost all leaves on Earth into a sustainable energy source. The team said its leaf transpiration generator can power small electronic devices and be used to create plant-powered electricity. It revealed a lot about how the natural processes of plants can inspire scientists. “[It] also provides a fresh perspective for advancing green energy technologies,” the team said.

Malaysia is poised to be a regional leader in energy transition by harnessing natural resources and sound policy at high level, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said. Despite contributing less than one per cent of carbon dioxide emission, Raifiz said the government continues to carry its global responsibility through thoughtful measures that secure a sustainable future for the people of Southeast Asia. In the effort to embrace energy transition and decarbonising at scale, Rafizi said policy and resource are the two types of pathways that countries can really turn to.  

Malaysia has achieved significant success in energy efficiency, which has been described as the first fuel of the energy transition, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. Fadillah, who is also the energy transition and water transformation (PETRA) minister, highlighted that as of June this year, the country achieved 5.82% in electricity savings, equivalent to 8,769 gigawatt hours (GWh) and valued at RM2.21 billion.

The Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) has forged several strategic partnerships focusing specifically on the expansion of energy management standards and solar energy projects. These partnerships were formed on the final day of the 15th edition of the International Greentech and Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM) held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here today.

Malaysia will be the leading country in ASEAN in terms of energy transition and smart grid, with the help of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), said Trilliant Networks Inc. Trilliant Networks chairman and chief executive officer Andy White said their partnership with TNB since 2017 helped to accelerate the country's vision towards energy transition. He also applauded TNB's achievement of deploying 4.5 million smart meters across Malaysia this year, en route to the vision.

Sarawak is set to make history once again by becoming the first state in Southeast Asia to introduce a method of generating renewable energy from grass. According to a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news report, Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced that the cultivation of 800 acres of tropical hybrid grass in Bintulu is being used to produce biomass, a raw material for generating renewable energy that can be harvested every three months.  

Malaysia is planning to establish a task force with Laos to strengthen cooperation in developing the energy sector of both countries, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. Fadillah, who is also the minister of energy transition and water transformation, said the task force was among the matters discussed in the bilateral meeting with Laos Minister of Energy and Mines Phoxay Sayasone. The bilateral meeting was held in conjunction with the two-day 42nd Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) beginning Thursday.