It’s been two weeks now since the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association (ANGEA) launched the Rystad Study into Energy Security in Southeast Asia and the level of interest in both the research and its recommendations has been excellent.
Alongside our member companies, ANGEA seeks to be part of vital conversations that will help decide the roadmap to Asia’s energy future. One of the ways to inform and spark these conversations is through detailed and high-quality research and that’s exactly what the Rystad Study is.
We’re grateful to Rystad Energy for the extremely thorough manner in which they undertook the research and presented it. Although the findings support a key belief of ANGEA and its members – that natural gas and LNG can be central to the energy transition in Asia – they also make it clear that each country’s energy mix and journey is going to be unique.
Equally, while the study focusses on the specific energy circumstance of Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, many of the challenges identified translate quite broadly across Asia. This includes developing economies falling back on coal-fired electricity generation because of affordability and availability concerns about natural gas.
The fact remains that many Asian nations are net importers of energy. Without gas-producing countries elsewhere in the world bringing on more supply, there is always a threat these nations will be “priced out” of the LNG market – as has proven to be the case with geopolitical events of the past two years.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Rystad Study, I’d recommend checking out our recent blog piece and accessing the study summary via the button below. ANGEA was grateful to have had the opportunity to launch the Rystad Study in Thailand at Future Energy Asia (FEA), a terrific event that attracted thousands of energy industry participants and associated stakeholders. We’re looking forward to returning to Bangkok next week for a public lecture on the study to be delivered by Jon Fredrik Muller, Rystad’s Head of Consulting Asia Pacific, in collaboration with the Petroleum Institute of Thailand.
One of the key spin-off events at FEA was an ANGEA-hosted roundtable discussion of Asian energy leaders on the critical subject of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). As I’ve written before, developments in CCUS technology and investment can underpin Asia’s net zero aspirations for decades to come – indeed, many of world’s ambitions – and it was very encouraging to see such a high level of engagement around the subject amongst key decision-makers.
It’s shaping as another busy few months for ANGEA, engaging with governments and industries not only across Asia but around the world.
We continue to add to our membership. In May we welcomed Venture Global LNG, a relatively new US entrant to the LNG-exporting ranks but a company that will be a significant supplier to Asian markets for decades to come.
In the weeks ahead, ANGEA will be visiting Japan and the Republic of Korea, for meetings with senior government officials and energy companies, and then Vietnam in July for our first in-person engagement in a country that has recently outlined plans to significantly increase the use of gas in electricity generation. Similarly, I’m looking forward to observing the Korean energy landscape up close, given the clearly identified role for natural gas supporting nuclear power and renewable energy in one of Asia’s most industrialised and developed economies.
In July we’ll also travel to Vancouver to present at LNG2023, another significant global energy event being held in a jurisdiction that has considerable untapped potential as a gas exporter to Asia.
In addition to a growing membership and organisational profile, ANGEA continues to seek out new opportunities to work with a range of stakeholders throughout Asia.
We know there are a number of countries – India and the Philippines among them – which have a strong interest in gas and LNG, as they identify energy pathways that will allow them to continue important economic growth while also making progress on climate targets.
Our hope is that the Rystad Study and future research we may commission can be valuable tools as these nations plan their energy futures.
Paul Everingham was CEO of the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association (ANGEA) from September 2022 to June 2026. ANGEA works with governments, industries and communities in Asia, providing affordable solutions that promote energy security, economic growth and decarbonisation.
