China, ASEAN countries deepen clean energy cooperation

By Cao Shiyun, People’s Daily
The PVS ASEAN Photovoltaic (PV) and Storage Conference and Expo 2023 recently kicked off in Jakarta, Indonesia, with the participation of companies from Indonesia, China, Singapore, and other countries.
The event offered heads of relevant industry organizations, experts, and scholars an opportunity to discuss topics such as the current situation, policy trends, energy transition, and cooperation potential of the ASEAN PV market.
It focused on the PV and energy storage industry, showcasing innovative products and advanced technologies in this sector, including high-efficiency PV modules, portable energy storage products, and household energy storage solutions, among others. These products and technologies cover various scenarios, from daily life to large-scale PV projects in the industrial and commercial sectors.
President Director of PT Adhouse Clarion Events Toerangga Putra noted that this expo served as an important platform to comprehensively showcase the supply and industrial chains of the PV power generation and energy storage industry.
He believes that the expo will help Indonesia to promote clean energy transition and achieve sustainable economic and social development.
China Energy Engineering Group Equipment Co., Ltd. brought to the event a range of high-tech products with independent intellectual property rights, along with a new energy power generation solution.
Based on the development trend of green energy, this solution sources energy primarily from wind and PV power generation, with energy storage as a supplement and diesel generators as the final guarantee. It forms a complete power generation solution suitable for island power stations, campsite power supply, distributed PV power generation, and other application scenarios.
DAS Solar, a new energy technology company from east China’s Zhejiang province, introduced a self-developed lightweight solar panel module at the expo. This module adopts fluorine-containing high molecular transparent front panels instead of glass, which effectively solves the issues of heaviness and difficult installation associated with traditional ones.
The module also possesses excellent properties such as UV resistance, aging resistance, and fire prevention. It has attracted quite a few business representatives to discuss cooperation.
According to the latest data released by the ASEAN Center for Energy, renewable energy accounted for 14.4 percent of the total energy supply in ASEAN countries in 2021, with the installed power generation capacity accounting for 33.9 percent of the total.
From 2016 to 2021, installed solar power generation capacity in ASEAN countries increased by 53 percent. By 2025, the installed capacity of renewable energy may take 35 percent of the total installed capacity in ASEAN countries.
The rapid growth of solar power generation has significantly narrowed the gap between ASEAN countries and the set targets, said a report by the ASEAN Center for Energy.
In recent years, China and ASEAN countries have deepened their cooperation in clean energy and achieved multiple accomplishments. China has actively promoted the establishment of the China-ASEAN Clean Energy Cooperation Center, to facilitate the sharing of clean energy technologies, strengthen financial support, and deepen regional cooperation, contributing to the energy transition and sustainable development in the region.
In early November this year, the Cirata floating solar plant in Indonesia, the largest floating solar plant in Southeast Asia, was connected to the power grid and started running at full capacity. Constructed by a Chinese company, the plant is expected to provide clean electricity to approximately 50,000 households.
China and Vietnam have signed a memorandum of understanding on power and renewable energy cooperation. The cooperation between China and Thailand in the renewable energy sector, including wind power and PV power generation, has also achieved positive results.
Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn said that key areas of cooperation between ASEAN and China include offshore wind energy, hydropower, power connectivity, and green transportation. He hoped that both sides would take further actions to jointly promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, thereby fostering economic and social development for both parties.