Hanoi (VNA)♎ – Vietnamese DeputyMinister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An chaired a press conference inHanoi on November 20 to inform about major contents of the joint statementof the 38th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM).

AMEM-38 had thetheme “Energy Transition Towards Sustainable Development", An said. At the meeting, ministerscommitted to ASEAN energy transition towards a sustainable energy future amidunprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Theyadopted the second phase of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation for the2021-2025 period, which is the latest plan as part of efforts to realise theASEAN Economic Community vision for energy sector. The theme of the second phase is “Enhancing energy connectivity and, market integration in ASEAN to achieve energy security, accessibility, affordability and sustainability for all” with a new sub-theme of “Accelerating energy transition and strengthening energy resilience through greater innovation and cooperation.” Inparticular, the regional energy cooperation will continue pursuing sevenprogrammes on the ASEANPlan of Action for Energy Cooperation, the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline, energyefficiency and preservation, renewable energy, regional energy andpolicy making, coal and clean coal energy, and civil nuclear energy. The ministers saidASEAN will reach 13.3 percent of total primary energy supply and 27.1 percentof installed energy capacity compared to 2018, An noted. They pledged to increaserenewable energy by 23 percent and installed energy by 35 percent by 2025. In the jointstatement, they vowed to promote technological solutions as well as research anddevelopment on renewable energy. They acknowledged efforts to develop supportnetworks such as focus group discussions on the framework of regional renewableenergy research and development networks with the ASEAN-Germany EnergyProgramme (AGEP). On clean coaltechnology, the ministers looked into the 6th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO6) and agreed tooptimise the role of clean coal technology, including carbon capture, utilisationand storage. They acknowledgedthe success of the virtual ASEAN round-table conference on coal trade in Julywith nearly 200 coal businesses taking part. Regarding civil nuclearenergy, they reached consensus on promoting regional initiatives to improve the capacityof human resources for nuclear science and energy generation technology. An said during AMEM-38and related meetings, participants reviewed the first phase (2016-2020) of the ASEAN Planof Action for Energy Cooperation for the 2016-2025 period. Accordingly,regional energy intensity decreased by 21.4 percent this year compared to 2005,surpassing the initial target of 20 percent. Nine liquefied natural gas centreswere established with a total capacity of 38.75 million tonnes each year. After 2020, powergrid connectivity projects are expected to increase power to 16,000 MW. The rate ofrenewable energy in regional energy structure has been increasingly higher,towards the goal of raising renewable energy by 23 percent by 2025./.