ASEAN power grid viewed as uneconomical: Report

Full integration of the power systems of all member states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), proposed nearly 20 years ago, has been deemed uneconomical according to a final report of the study on the ASEAN interconnection master plan as reported by Bangkok Post on Friday.

The study, conducted in June 2000 by a working group containing representatives of ASEAN member utilities, will be submitted to senior officials attending the 21th ASEAN ministerial meeting on energy next month for endorsement.

The optimisation of a long-term development plan (2001-20) by making comparisons between the plan with or without interconnection projects was the main thrust of the study, said Prutichai Chonglertvanichkul, a key speaker at Thailand Power 2003, hosted by Asia Business Forum.

Since power grid interconnection between Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo and between Borneo and the Philippines was not economical, the study focused on grouping the network into east and west systems, said Prutichai, a senior executive of the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand and head of the working group.

The east system consists of Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, West Kalimantan in Indonesia, and the Philippines. The west side would comprise Laos, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Batam in Indonesia, and Singapore.

The study shows 11 bilateral interconnection projects are possible (see map).

Prutichai said that although ASEAN first proposed developing the interconnections in the region in 1982, progress had moved very slowly --links between pairs of countries are still in the early stages.

The slow progress was largely attributed to concerns of national security regarding self-sufficiency, considered a key policy of most ASEAN nations.

The main worry was that the interconnected countries would no longer be fully self-sufficient in power but would share power reserves with one another, he said.

Also, the restructuring of the existing power utilities in ASEAN countries has progressed cautiously as reforms are seen as either advantageous or obstructive to the interconnection projects.

The power systems in ASEAN, therefore, could not be interconnected completely up to 2020 but those of the main land area including Indonesia were expected to be interconnected by 2014 to form part of the ASEAN power grid.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (*)