ASEAN Malaysian Chairmanship 2025 - Building Resilient and Secure Regional Energy Transition
In February EnergyLab participated in the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Coalition (SETC) ASEAN Chairmanship Visit in Malaysia—an event organised by the Institute of Energy Policy and Research (IEPRe), Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), and the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR).
This visit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, and civil society working in the energy sectors among ASEAN country representatives to explore how Malaysia’s leadership of ASEAN can be harnessed to drive ASEAN toward a resilient, low-carbon energy future. The discussions highlighted several challenges and opportunities for ASEAN’s energy transition. As one of the ASEAN member countries, Cambodia can play a big role in supporting this transition.
Scaling Up Renewable Energy Deployment Eight of the ten ASEAN countries have committed to net-zero emission goals, with Cambodia setting its target for net-zero by 2050. While commitment remains strong, there needs to be greater effort in getting the pieces moving at a much faster pace, whether that’s energy efficiency, electrifying transport, decarbonising the industry, or providing energy access to the communities.
A key insight from the sessions was the importance of battery storage in enabling greater adoption of intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind. Participants noted that addressing storage challenges could unlock significant renewable energy potential, especially in countries like Cambodia, where sunlight is abundant but infrastructure lags behind.
Strengthening Regional Collaboration The ASEAN Power Grid (APG) is a cornerstone of regional cooperation, which aims to facilitate cross-border energy trade and optimise resource allocation. However, it also encapsulates many of the challenges of cross-border collaboration - who pays, who benefits, and how do we manage such a large system. There was a big emphasis on the need for proactive initiatives to revive and expand the APG under its chairmanship.
This is more than simply a question of building infrastructure. It’s about creating a collaborative framework for cross-border renewable integration that could allow the grid system to better manage weather variability, improve system resilience, and, most importantly, reduce overall costs. This could also be the opportunity to unlock billions of dollars of investment for ASEAN.
The Minister of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, H.E. Keo Rottanak, highlighted the potential benefits of the APG for Cambodia, saying that, “Cross-border electricity trade could unlock 764 billion US dollars in investment by 2040, with 17 billion US dollars for interconnection alone….. As demand rises, so does the need for a reliable supply chain… Emerging economies, including Cambodia, can strengthen the supply chain by producing structural components and scaling up assembly processes. ”
However, the APG is an enormous project. We need to make sure that investments are primarily focused on increasing shares of renewable energy. We don’t need to solve the entire APG challenge to unlock many of the tangible benefits.
Other topics that were also discussed during the visit
Addressing Financing Gaps While development banks play a crucial role, participants stressed the need for innovative financial models tailored to local contexts. For Cambodia, which primarily accesses funding through multilateral institutions, expanding private-sector participation and green bonds could help bridge financing gaps.
Navigating Geopolitical Risks Participants debated whether liquefied natural gas (LNG) should serve as a transitional fuel or if ASEAN should leapfrog directly to renewables. For Cambodia, balancing economic competitiveness with decarbonisation goals will require careful planning and international support, avoiding locking in inflexible fossil generators and maximising the contribution of clean, low-cost solar power.
Emerging Technologies Malaysia has announced plans to scale up green hydrogen production and aims to become a key exporter in the Asia-Pacific region, supplying markets such as Japan, South Korea, China, and Singapore by 2030. Similarly, biomass hubs are being developed across the region, though challenges around pricing and scalability remain. In the Cambodian context, leveraging agricultural waste for bioenergy and scaling up could be another avenue for energy production and enhancing energy security.
About EnergyLab
Founded in 2018, EnergyLab Cambodia is an innovative and efficient not-for-profit organisation working to support the growth of Clean Energy. Since our establishment, we have been recognised by our partners as independent, insightful and resourceful, with a transparent agenda to support Clean Energy.
Address: G1101, GIA Tower, Sopheak Mongkul Street, Koh Pict City, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkamorn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Website: https://energylab.asia/
For media inquiries, please contact:
This visit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, and civil society working in the energy sectors among ASEAN country representatives to explore how Malaysia’s leadership of ASEAN can be harnessed to drive ASEAN toward a resilient, low-carbon energy future. The discussions highlighted several challenges and opportunities for ASEAN’s energy transition. As one of the ASEAN member countries, Cambodia can play a big role in supporting this transition.
Scaling Up Renewable Energy Deployment Eight of the ten ASEAN countries have committed to net-zero emission goals, with Cambodia setting its target for net-zero by 2050. While commitment remains strong, there needs to be greater effort in getting the pieces moving at a much faster pace, whether that’s energy efficiency, electrifying transport, decarbonising the industry, or providing energy access to the communities.
A key insight from the sessions was the importance of battery storage in enabling greater adoption of intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind. Participants noted that addressing storage challenges could unlock significant renewable energy potential, especially in countries like Cambodia, where sunlight is abundant but infrastructure lags behind.
Strengthening Regional Collaboration The ASEAN Power Grid (APG) is a cornerstone of regional cooperation, which aims to facilitate cross-border energy trade and optimise resource allocation. However, it also encapsulates many of the challenges of cross-border collaboration - who pays, who benefits, and how do we manage such a large system. There was a big emphasis on the need for proactive initiatives to revive and expand the APG under its chairmanship.
This is more than simply a question of building infrastructure. It’s about creating a collaborative framework for cross-border renewable integration that could allow the grid system to better manage weather variability, improve system resilience, and, most importantly, reduce overall costs. This could also be the opportunity to unlock billions of dollars of investment for ASEAN.
The Minister of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, H.E. Keo Rottanak, highlighted the potential benefits of the APG for Cambodia, saying that, “Cross-border electricity trade could unlock 764 billion US dollars in investment by 2040, with 17 billion US dollars for interconnection alone….. As demand rises, so does the need for a reliable supply chain… Emerging economies, including Cambodia, can strengthen the supply chain by producing structural components and scaling up assembly processes. ”
However, the APG is an enormous project. We need to make sure that investments are primarily focused on increasing shares of renewable energy. We don’t need to solve the entire APG challenge to unlock many of the tangible benefits.
Other topics that were also discussed during the visit
Addressing Financing Gaps While development banks play a crucial role, participants stressed the need for innovative financial models tailored to local contexts. For Cambodia, which primarily accesses funding through multilateral institutions, expanding private-sector participation and green bonds could help bridge financing gaps.
Navigating Geopolitical Risks Participants debated whether liquefied natural gas (LNG) should serve as a transitional fuel or if ASEAN should leapfrog directly to renewables. For Cambodia, balancing economic competitiveness with decarbonisation goals will require careful planning and international support, avoiding locking in inflexible fossil generators and maximising the contribution of clean, low-cost solar power.
Emerging Technologies Malaysia has announced plans to scale up green hydrogen production and aims to become a key exporter in the Asia-Pacific region, supplying markets such as Japan, South Korea, China, and Singapore by 2030. Similarly, biomass hubs are being developed across the region, though challenges around pricing and scalability remain. In the Cambodian context, leveraging agricultural waste for bioenergy and scaling up could be another avenue for energy production and enhancing energy security.
About EnergyLab
Founded in 2018, EnergyLab Cambodia is an innovative and efficient not-for-profit organisation working to support the growth of Clean Energy. Since our establishment, we have been recognised by our partners as independent, insightful and resourceful, with a transparent agenda to support Clean Energy.
Address: G1101, GIA Tower, Sopheak Mongkul Street, Koh Pict City, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkamorn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Website: https://energylab.asia/
For media inquiries, please contact:
- Email: media@energylab.asia