ASEAN to discuss energy security amid US and Israeli war against Iran — Al Jazeera
Energy ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will gather in Manila, the Philippines, on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the region’s energy security amid supply disruptions caused by the US and Israeli war against Iran. As Al Jazeera reports, the expected topics of discussion include a fuel-sharing mechanism among states, cooperation in clean energy and the integration of regional power grids.
Dependence on supplies from the Middle East
ASEAN, whose combined GDP exceeds $4.2 trillion, is heavily dependent on imported oil and natural gas. Before the war began in late February, the bloc’s 11 member states imported about half of the oil they needed from the Middle East. This made the region particularly vulnerable to supply restrictions due to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Philippines, which currently chairs ASEAN, declared an energy emergency several weeks after the war began. This came amid warnings that fuel reserves could be exhausted within 45 days. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia introduced energy-saving measures, including remote work and fuel rationing.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Electricity demand and grid integration
According to the International Energy Agency, per capita energy consumption in Southeast Asia has increased by nearly 30% over the past decade, while oil production in the region has fallen by 40% from its peak level in the 1990s. Electricity demand in the region, home to more than 700 million people, is projected by the agency to grow by an average of 5.4% annually in 2026–2030.
Expected topics of discussion include the integration of regional power grids under the ASEAN Power Grid initiative. Of the 18 priority projects identified under the initiative since the late 1990s, nine have been completed. Dinita Setyawati, head of Southeast Asia research at the Ember think tank, said financing and the management of submarine cable connections are important for the Philippines. She also suggested that individual countries may be interested in developing a regional carbon market to finance clean energy.
