Info!
UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
Energy efficiency urged for Southeast Asia – IEA
The growth of energy demand in Southeast Asia will be felt well beyond the region, and most of this will be met by a sharp rise in the dependence on oil imports, according to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The country’s need for imports, alongside a reduction in its surplus of natural gas and coal for export, has led the IEA to urge countries in the region to take serious action to improve energy efficiency.
‘Southeast Asia is, along with China and India, shifting the centre of gravity of the global energy system to Asia,’ said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven at the launch of the report: Southeast Asia Energy Outlook – an IEA World Energy Outlook special report.
The report projects an 80% rise in Southeast Asia’s energy demand in the period to 2035, a rise equivalent to current demand in Japan. Currently the region’s per-capita energy use is still very low, in part because 134mn people, or over one-fifth of the population, lack access to electricity.
Increasing reliance on oil imports will impose high costs on Southeast Asian economies and leave them more vulnerable to potential disruptions, says the report. It projects that by 2035, the region’s oil imports will rise to 5mn barrels per day, making it the world’s fourth-largest oil importer after China, India and the European Union and doubling its dependency (to 75% of demand). Southeast Asia’s annual spending on oil imports could rise to $240bn in 2035, equivalent to almost 4% of its GDP. Thailand’s and Indonesia’s oil import bills are projected to be the highest in the region, tripling to nearly $70bn each in 2035, according to the report.
The report highlights that the power sector is fundamental to the energy outlook for Southeast Asia, and that within it, coal is emerging as the fuel of choice because of its relative abundance and affordability in the region. Electricity generation is projected to increase by more than the current power output of India, with coal accounting for almost 60% of the growth. The country’s coal fleet has a low average efficiency of 34%, and the IEA is recommending that the country invests in improving its efficiency.
The IEA also recommends that the country develops policies to attract investment to enhance energy security, affordability and sustainability in Southeast Asia. Around $1.7tn of investment in energy-supply infrastructure is required in the period to 2035, says the IEA.