Pertamina unit calls for joint effort to advance ASEAN electricity links
National regulations need to be harmonised alongside infrastructure development before a shared power network can operate, PNRE chief John Anis says.
Cross-border cooperation is needed to make the ASEAN Power Grid a reality, according to PT Pertamina New & Renewable Energy (PNRE). Its chief executive, John Anis, identified the construction of infrastructure and the alignment of national rules as two key obstacles to implementation.
Anis discussed the challenges at The Meru Sanur in Bali on the sidelines of the 51st ASEAN Council on Petroleum and Energy (ASCOPE) event. He said the idea of linking Southeast Asian countries so they could exchange electricity had been under discussion for a long time.
While the network could improve the region’s energy security, Anis said differences between countries’ legal and regulatory frameworks must be addressed before it can operate. ASCOPE’s Clean Energy Task Force is committed to helping advance that regulatory alignment.
Anis also pointed to workforce readiness as a requirement beyond infrastructure and regulation. He said the availability of prepared personnel would be important both for the shared grid and for the transition to clean energy.
