Canada, a veteran in nuclear energy, is working with South-east Asia as the region seeks to capture atomic opportunities. A nuclear energy working group was launched by the Singapore-based Canada-Asean Business Council on Nov 29 at the inaugural Canada-Asean Energy Transition Summit held in the Republic. It is a platform for businesses, policymakers and regulators to collaborate in areas such as building nuclear energy capacity, raising a nuclear workforce, unlocking investments and educating the public about the energy source.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd has signed the MY07 Electricity Supply Agreement (ESA) with hyperscale data centre solutions platform and Bain Capital-backed Bridge Data Centres (BDC), according to w.media's report on Friday. The report noted that Malaysia's fastest ESA delivery was agreed upon to meet the urgent energy needs of an advanced data centre, citing TNB. The parties signed a Bilateral Energy Supply Contract (BESC) Head of Terms (HoT) under the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS).

New renewable energy and battery projects should help the power grid this summer although gas supplies will need to be monitored closely during demand peaks, the Australian Energy Market Operator said. In its industry briefing for the five months from the start of November, released publicly on Tuesday, Aemo said “reserve shortfalls could arise if higher demand periods coincide with unplanned generation outages and transmission limitations”. Temperatures were likely to be similar to last summer for most of Australia although this year’s near-La Nina conditions increase the potential for above-average rainfall and floods, said Michael Gatt, an Aemo executive.

WHAT can you do with US$300 billion? For South-east Asian nations trying to fund the construction of solar plants or wind farms, the answer is: not that much. The recent conclusion of the COP29 climate talks tells us that the region cannot wait for developed nations to raise that bar. Solutions need to come from within, and one possibility is policy. At the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference – better known as COP29 – developed nations agreed on US$300 billion as a climate finance goal to help developing nations. The Asian Development Bank has estimated, however, that South-east Asia alone needs US$210 billion annually to meet its renewable energy transition needs. Investment in renewables is an urgent requirement because South-east Asia’s gross domestic product growth is still incredibly carbon-intensive. The region stands to lose out on growth opportunities as the likes of China and India incentivise their domestic green industries with pro-decarbonisation policies, and South-east Asia risks being unable to respond to the increasingly tough environmental requirements in Europe.

What can you do with US$300 billion? For Southeast Asian nations trying to build solar plants or wind farms, not that much. The conclusion of UN climate change conference Cop29 tells us the region cannot wait for developed nations to raise the bar. Solutions need to come from within, and one possibility is in policy. At Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, developed nations agreed to provide at least US$300 billion annually by 2035 to help developing nations. Southeast Asia alone needs US$210 billion annually until 2030 to meet its energy transition needs, according to the Asian Development Bank. Investment in renewable energy is urgently required because Southeast Asia’s economic growth is highly carbon intensive. As the likes of China and India incentivise their green industries with policy support, Southeast Asia risks being unable to respond to the increasingly tough environmental requirements in Europe and losing out on growth opportunities.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is committed to supporting Malaysia’s energy transition goals under the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Chief grid officer Hasmarizal Hassan said the NETR, launched in August 2023, sets ambitious targets for Malaysia, including a gradual increase in renewable energy (RE) shares, targeting 40 per cent by 2035 and 70 per cent by 2050.

MIMOS Berhad will continue to spearhead innovation in sustainable energy to position Malaysia as a leader in green technology, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Science, Technology, and Innovation Deputy Minister Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal said the national research and development agency focuses on advancing solar panel technology, smart grid systems, and energy storage solutions to meet future energy needs. At the same time, Mimos would enhance space technology to support the country’s growing space industry.

Malaysia has sufficient energy resources to meet the growing demand for electricity driven by the development of data centres, said a panellist at the Asean Media Forum. Dr Mirza Sadaqat Huda, Lead Researcher in the Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme at the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, said that while data centres have placed significant pressure on energy supplies across Southeast Asia, Malaysia's energy resources remain a strong asset. "The development of data centres, not just in Malaysia but across the region, alongside industries like Bitcoin mining, has put considerable pressure on energy supplies. "But given the enormous resources Malaysia has, I do not think this will impede its ability to export energy, particularly with the Asean Power Grid in place," he said during a panel discussion on Monday.

AS electricity consumption remains largely inefficient, the need to instil energy-conscious habits is becoming increasingly critical. Educating the next generation to embrace energy-efficient habits is key to paving the way for a more sustainable future. To drive awareness and foster sustainable energy practices, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in collaboration with Star Media Group Berhad (SMG) introduced the “Powering The Future” school engagement series to educate local students and youth on energy conservation, aiming to cultivate energy leaders of the future. The series provided students with an in-depth understanding of the energy sector, current methods of energy production, sustainable energy practices and the importance of transitioning to renewable energy sources.

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) should unlock their offshore wind potential on top of onshore power generation as part of their net zero targets, amidst rising demand, energy analysts said. “If countries are going to continue their decarbonisation strategies, offshore wind is a key part of that solution,” Grant Hauber, strategic energy finance adviser for Asia at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), told Asian Power.  

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) unveiled a new partnership model that can accelerate renewable energy deployment and foster green industrialisation in Central Asia. The partnership was launched by IRENA at the COP29 Energy Transition Investment Forum for Central Asia. The two-day forum takes place at COP29 and is co-hosted by IRENA, the COP29 Presidency, and the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan bringing together to energy ministers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

As the economic toll of climate change grows, the Philippines’ private sector is urged to embrace net zero strategies to safeguard economic stability. “Today, there is no one and no place on the planet that is spared from the unprecedented fury unleashed by the increasing number – and more frequent occurrence – of extreme weather events supercharged by climate change,” said Federico Lopez, chairman and chief executive officer of First Philippine Holdings Corporation.