VOA新闻杂志2023--Southeast Asian Countries Consider Sharing Energy, Power

Southeast Asian Countries Consider Sharing Energy, Power

Southeast Asian nations are increasingly looking to share power as a result of concerns about climate change.

Malaysia and Indonesia signed a deal in Bali, Indonesia in August to study 18 possible areas where cross-border power lines can be set up.

Those links could eventually create power equal to what 33 nuclear power plants would produce in a year. The links are economically and technically¹ possible, and now are supported by regional governments, said Beni Suryadi a power expert at the ASEAN Center for Energy in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN is a political and economic group of 10 countries across a large area. The group includes small countries such as Brunei and Singapore as well as larger ones such as Indonesia and Vietnam.

Cross-border power purchases accounted for just 2.7 percent of the region's capacity in 2017, says the Global Interconnection Journal. But those were between two countries, such as Thailand and Laos.

Now, more countries are looking at power sharing as a way to move their economies away from coal and other fossil fuels. Vietnam would like a regional grid² so it could sell clean energy from offshore³ wind to its neighbors. And the Malaysian area of Sarawak is looking to sell its hydropower to neighboring Indonesia.

The plan for a regional grid between the 10 ASEAN members was developed twenty years ago, but progress has been slowed by problems including technical barriers and political mistrust.

The region now recognizes it must move faster. Climate change could reduce the region's economic growth by more than a third by the middle of the century, a report presented at the 2021 U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland says.

Demand for electricity is rising, and governments have realized the move away from fossil fuels requires an interconnected grid, Suryadi observed. "It has become a crucial need for every country," he said.

In the past, countries in the region paid more attention to energy security. They used fossil fuels and often built more capacity than they needed.

But renewable energy costs are falling, making hydroelectric, solar and wind power more affordable⁴. All ASEAN countries apart from the Philippines have promised to stop adding carbon to the atmosphere by 2050.

So, arguments in favor of an interconnected grid appear to be winning.

But issues remain.

One of ASEAN's central policies is non-interference, which means members are less likely to do joint⁵ projects. Energy needs within a country sometimes conflict with the interests of an interconnected grid.

Nadhilah Shani, another expert at the ASEAN Center for Energy, said that this creates a difficult position for some countries. The countries could sell clean energy to neighbors for the region to move away from fossil fuels, or they could use those resources to meet their own climate targets.

The region's lack of a legal agreement for such things as setting submarine power cables is another difficult issue.

Not all the technical problems have been solved. Voltages used by each country can differ, as do the capacities of their grids⁶. Even countries whose grids cross borders, like Thailand, need to upgrade them, said Harald Link, president of Thailand's Association of Private Power Producers.

"You need a huge amount of electricity— and they want it green. And where do you get it from? For some countries, it is more difficult to make it green," Link said.

Words in This Story

region – n. a part of the world that is different or separate from other parts in some way

capacity – n. the amount of something that can be produced or managed

fossil fuel -- n. a fuel such as coal, oil, or natural gas

grid – n. a network of electrical wires and equipment that supplies electricity to a large area

hydropower – n. electricity produced from machines that are run by moving water

crucial – adj. extremely important

interference – n. involvement in the activities and concerns of other people

voltage – n. the force of an electrical current that is measured in volts

1 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

2 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

3 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

4 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 grids   

n.格子( grid的名词复数 )；地图上的坐标方格；（输电线路、天然气管道等的）系统网络；（汽车比赛）赛车起跑线

参考例句：

• Typical framed structures are beams, grids, plane and space frames or trusses. 典型构架结构为梁、格栅、平面的和空间的框架或桁架。 来自辞典例句
• The machines deliver trimmed grids for use or stock. 这种机器铸出修整过的板栅，以供使用或储存。 来自辞典例句