ASEAN urged to seek alternate energy

ASEAN urged to seek alternate energy

Agence France-Presse, Langkawi, Malaysia

The 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) will have to intensify efforts to reduce their
dependence on oil since the region will become a net energy
importer by 2020, an expert said Tuesday.

Guillermo R. Balce, executive director of the Jakarta-based
ASEAN Center for Energy, said that energy demand from ASEAN
members outpaced their economic growth.

"In terms of energy demand, most countries experience five to
eight percent growth in energy demand compared to average
economic growth of four to five percent," he told reporters.

Balce on Monday presented a paper to some 120 ASEAN energy
officials on the regional energy outlook.

The two-day meeting is held ahead of the ASEAN ministers
meeting Thursday.

ASEAN energy officials would also meet their counterparts from
China, Japan and South Korea on Wednesday to discuss on energy
security.

ASEAN needs to move forward to greater dependence on renewable
energy resources such as hydro, wind, solar and bio-mas to ensure
energy security, he said.

Balce lamented that usage of such energy in the region was
only 8.2 percent at present and that it had to increased to more
than 12 percent in 2020.

"Most of the ASEAN countries are net energy importers. By
2020, we expect all the countries to be net importers, including
Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei," he said.

Currently, major importers are: Singapore, Thailand and
Philippines. ASEAN imports 60 percent of its oil needs from the
Middle East.

Balce warned that if ASEAN fails to meet its energy demand,
then the economies can falter.

"We will face energy shortage. Industries will be affected.
Cars will be queuing up to fill up their tanks. It will hamper
growth," he said.

Balce said ASEAN must be on guard against any geo-political
disability even though the recent Iraq war did not hurt the
region.

"Of course we are very much concern about energy security and
ASEAN is preparing for that," he said.

Balce said the trans-ASEAN gas pipeline project and the ASEAN
power grid project were the regions' long-term plan to ensure
energy security.

"We have to enhance energy infrastructure as a solution to
ensure security. Of course we must speed up the program," he
said.

Referring to the stalled Malaysia-Thailand gas pipeline, Balce
said, ASEAN countries must address cross border relations as soon
as possible.

ASEAN, he said had agreed at this meeting, to establish the
"Regional Energy Policy and Planning," to look into ways to
harmonize energy planning for the whole region.

Balce said an oil stockpile, that is pushed aggressively by
Japan, was another option that ASEAN could consider.

"Oil stockpile is one of the options for energy security that
is discussed in this forum," he said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.