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Indonesia looks to ASEAN to offload excess electricity
At the recent ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Special Meeting, the government has pushed for progress on a long-time initiative to create an integrated regional power grid.
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The power of water: State-owned PT Indonesia Power uses the Saguling dam in West Bandung regency of West Java to operate a hydropower plant that contributes 2.5 percent to the Java-Bali power grid. (Courtesy of /Indonesia Power)
T
he Trade Ministry has called for progress to be made on the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) initiative, which could help Indonesia deal with its current electricity oversupply, including by exporting excess power to neighboring countries.
At the ASEAN Economic Ministers' (AEM) Special Meeting earlier this month, the ministry expressed its wish for member states to jumpstart long-time initiatives like the APG to dampen the impact of high energy prices.
Prices of many commodities have risen sharply in recent months as economic activity picked up worldwide because coronavirus-related restrictions were lifted, while sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the war in Ukraine exacerbated energy inflation.
Read also: Inflation jumps to nearly 3-year high, GDP growth steadies
The APG is a plan to interconnect power grids in the region by progressing from bilateral cross-border agreements to subregional agreements and, finally, full regional integration.
The plan’s implementation relies on the development of harmonized transmission infrastructure and trading regulations.
Representing Indonesia at the event, Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi said deeper ASEAN economic cooperation was imperative as the current multilateral trading system faced multiple challenges that could render the World Trade Organization ineffective.
