Jakarta. The Indonesian government is pushing for sustainable and collaborative efforts to accelerate the green energy transition, particularly in the Southeast Asian region, a senior official has said.

Energy Minister Arifin Tasrif said regional collaboration needs to be strengthened not only among ASEAN member countries but also with other international organizations and stakeholders.

"The global energy landscape is urged to transition sustainably from fossil-based economies to low-carbon economies in an inclusive and fair manner while considering national circumstances, capacities, and priorities," Arifin told ASEAN's 41st Senior Officials Meeting (SOME) on Energy at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.

According to Arifin, energy security is as crucial as energy transition. Therefore, during Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship this year, the country emphasizes the importance of sustainable energy resilience through interconnectivity in ASEAN as the "epicentrum of growth".

Arifin mentioned that the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) and the ASEAN power grid will accelerate the clean energy transition and enhance energy resilience. He added that critical minerals are also needed to support the energy transition.

Critical raw materials are minerals used for clean and renewable energy-based technological innovations. The global demand for critical minerals for developing clean energy technologies has increased significantly.

Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) states that electric vehicles require six times the mineral input compared to conventional vehicles. Wind power plants require 13 times more mineral resources than similarly-sized gas-fired power plants.

"Some ASEAN countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam, are blessed with abundant mineral resources, including nickel, tin, bauxite, and rare earth metals, so ASEAN can play a significant role in the global critical mineral supply chain," said Arifin.

Arifin also mentioned the need to develop mineral processing and refining units as well as manufacturing for mineral-based industries, especially those related to clean energy technologies, in the region. 

He said Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are key players in the renewable energy manufacturing industry, such as photovoltaics -- the semiconducting materials used in solar panels -- and electric vehicle batteries.

"The ASEAN 2023 Summit has agreed to use electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonize the transportation sector in the region to achieve net zero emission," Arifin added.

Arifin stated that ASEAN member countries are committed to developing a regional electric vehicle ecosystem involving all member countries and advancing the electric vehicle industry that will make the bloc a global production base.

He added that technology is the key to the energy transition toward carbon neutrality, so there is a need for increased technological diversity. Similarly, access to and utilization of technology must be made more inclusive. Thus, affordable access to technology and financing needs to be explored further.

"ASEAN member countries are obliged to enhance their technology, as well as capabilities, capacities, and expertise to support energy transition targets in our countries," said Arifin.

The official also expressed appreciation to all ASEAN member countries who have committed to achieving the net zero target in the coming years. 

"This roadmap is significant as a tool to analyze and allocate the necessary support for each country, such as technology, financing, infrastructure, and others," Arifin said.

He said he hoped that through the ministerial meeting, ASEAN member countries could further discuss and resolve strategic issues such as carbon trading and decarbonization of the oil and gas industry through the Carbon Capture Storage mechanism.

"This will accelerate the green energy mix in ensuring long-term energy security in the ASEAN region to achieve the net zero target. Furthermore, we also need to realize our commitment to achieving the Nationally Determined Contributions target by 2030 in line with the greenhouse gas reduction targets in each country," Arifin said.