Following the endorsement of the ASEAN Member States at the 19th Annual ASEAN Forum on Coal (AFOC) Meeting held on 28 April 2021, the ASEAN Centre for Energy organized a launching event on 13 July 2021 to further disseminate its new study: “ASEAN CO2 Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants: A Baseline Study”.

In his opening speech, ACE Executive Director Dr Nuki Agya Utama mentioned that the ASEAN region is rich in coal resources. According to the Baseline Scenario profiled in the 6th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO6), coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) are expected to generate 3,123 terra-watt hours of electricity, accounting for 25.7% of total electricity production in 2040. In recognition of the need to reduce the environmental impacts of the CFPPs, the ASEAN Member States (AMS) are making efforts to move towards more efficient CFPP technologies through the Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Programme Area under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC).

Mr Abdul Razib Dawood, in his opening remarks, which delivered by Mr Rizal Ramli, echoed the points. He mentioned that these past couple of years have been quite turbulent for societies and economies worldwide, including ASEAN. The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected everyone and has had a significant and uneven impact across the worldwide energy industry. It has also reminded us all why energy matters. Energy affects all aspects of human life from material security, wellbeing, comfort, and community. It fuels human endeavour to achieve our dreams and ambitions. However, we cannot turn a blind eye to the effect of our energy consumption on planetary health. The Energy Trilemma has been an ongoing challenge for the electricity supply industry, which is continuously evolving. It requires judicious decision making and trade-offs to balance energy security, affordability, and environmental sustainability. The planning of power plants, especially coal-fired power plants (CFFP), must consider this

Trilemma from the design stage to operation and maintenance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the year 2100 as signed by ASEAN Member States (AMS) in the Paris Climate Agreement.

Given the necessity to find ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the CFPPs in ASEAN, “ASEAN CO2 Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants: A Baseline Study” was carried out by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) with support from the ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT) to evaluate the opportunities and challenges in setting baseline emission standards for the CFPPs in the ASEAN region. The report was endorsed at the 19th Annual ASEAN Forum on Coal (AFOC) Council Meeting held on 28 April 2021.

The ASEAN Forum on Coal (AFOC) is the Specialised Energy Body that leads in implementing the Coal and Clean Coal Technology (CCT) programme under the APAEC. The vision of CCT Programme is to enhance ASEAN cooperation in the coal sector, promote intra-ASEAN coal business, disseminate best practices, and increase the deployment of CCT in the region to support energy transition and enhance environmental sustainability.

AFOC hopes that this baseline study can serve as a reference for the AMS in developing and deploying CFFP by utilising the most appropriate technology and fostering regional cooperation under the CCT programme under the APAEC.

The experts in the panel discussion; Mr Hendra Sinadia, Executive Director of Indonesia Coal Mining Association, Datuk Shamsul Ahmad, Managing Director of TNB Janamanjung Sdn. Bhd. Malaysia and Radin Diana R. Ahmad, Principal Researcher, Built Environment and Climate Change Unit Generation and Environment Department, TNB Research Sdn. Bhd. Malaysia also shared the same views. They hope that this study will be a foundation for the ASEAN to collectively pursue the efforts in the energy transition, particularly in dealing with the coal emissions.

The full report of “ASEAN CO2 Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants: A Baseline Study” provides the detail analysis in every ASEAN countries. Meanwhile, key insights can be read from the shorter version, Policy Brief, “Setting Emission Standards for Coal-Fired Power Plants in ASEAN”.

Recording of the webinar can be seen at ACE YouTube.