Decarbonising energy in Southeast Asia: A bank and regulator’s perspective | FinanceAsia
The need to connect the world energy system with the 1 is essential. 5°C purpose has never been more powerful. August 2023 marked the hottest month on record, surpassing even the document set in July 2023 by a substantial margin. The severity and frequency of climate change impacts are rising, highlighting the urgent need for activity.
According to the International Energy Agency ( “IEA” ), global carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) emissions from the energy sector reached a new record high of 37 billion tonnes ( Gt ) in 2022, 1 % above their pre-pandemic level, but are set to peak this decade.
Piyush Gupta, the CEO of DBS Bank, highlighted some of the important difficulties financial institutions are facing as they move to the energy market.
One important issue, according to Gupta, is the untested economy of many new technology. While some industries have fairly good systems solutions, others lack feasible options. Although hydrogen may hold promise, it is now too far beyond the reach of use. Even where there is systems, these innovative solutions ‘ cost points and economics frequently differ from those of fossil-based energy sources or different segments.
The economy are different when comparing the cost of solar production in regions with high thermal efficiency, like China or India, to those with cloud cover, like the tropic, according to Gupta. Elements such as the cost of land, which can be considerable for tasks requiring large places, and the costs associated with store, intermittency, and network upgrades further complicate the financial viability of projects.
In fact, some initiatives are not simple to finance based only on commercial viability.
Gupta was speaking at a screen debate at the Singapore state investment Temasek’s monthly sustainability-focused function, Ecosperity, from April 15 to 17.
The need for relevant infrastructure spending is the next problem identified by Gupta. While a job may be initiated, if the necessary investments in another system components, such as the network, are not made continuously, the site’s potential is compromised. Thus, it is crucial for a financial institution to take into account the wider communication and infrastructure requirements beyond the task itself in order to assess the viability of the investment.
The Asean nations ‘ risk prices, as discussed by Gupta, have an impact on project viability and prices. Foreign exchange threat and royal risk are included in these risk premiums. Some nations in the area are not regarded as investment-grade, which adds to the sovereign risk premium. Foreign trade risk is another important issue, as funding for these projects frequently is in US dollars while profits are generated in regional currency. Significant financial difficulties can be caused by this gap.
Finally, Gupta shared that project funding is influenced by the off-takers reliability, especially in the energy sector, where political considerations may affect payment reliability. Regime modifications can add another layer of complexity to venture financing by raising doubts about the off-taker’s commitment to completing its legal obligations. Together, these problems add to the difficulty and complexity of funding regional system jobs.
But, while difficulties exist, concerted efforts are underway to mitigate them, with continued growth of remedies aimed at overcoming these roadblocks.
Gupta, who spoke to FinanceAsia on the outside of the occasion, put forth one like solution, which he believes can have a significant influence on the sector’s journey to zero.
One of the most important components of a toolbox of solutions to climate change is establishing a reliable and open global graphite market. A strong global carbon market is a powerful tool for the personal sector to move money from developed to developing areas. This in turn has the potential to have a significant effect by enabling emerging markets to obtain funding for sustainable development tasks, which are required to speed up the transition to a low-carbon business. ”
According to Gupta, pursuing the implementation of cross-border and export industry also offers a considerable option. “These areas enable resource countries to develop capacity, size, and engineering without bearing the price, as other states purchase their authority, ” he noted.
To put this in perspective, the demand for coal funds could increase by 15 days or more by 2030 and up to 100 days by 2050. By 2030, the use and buying of carbon credits was reach$ 50 billion, subject to the successful implementation of the Article 6 code adopted at COP26.
Singapore’s online zero journey
Singapore has set a goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Singapore aims to have net-zero emissions from this industry by the same deadline given that its energy sector accounts for 40 % of its emissions. By importing fresh power from the Asean area, the nation intends to accomplish this goal.
Ngiam Shih Chun, chief executive, of the Energy Market Authority ( EMA ) of Singapore, said that while “Singapore has limited renewable energy resources, the country can access low-carbon electricity that is abundant in the region by connecting to regional power grids. This also encourages the growth of solar energy in the area and opens the door for the Asean Power Grid vision to become a reality. ”
The country has the target set to import up to fourgigawatts ( GW ) of low-carbon electricity by 2035, making up around 30 % of Singapore’s electricity supply then. EMA granted contingent certifications to trade up to 4 in 2023. 2 GW of low-carbon energy from Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Companies are now completing feasibility studies and obtaining regulatory approvals from transit and source nations.
The projects are physically and economically feasible, and the source nation and Singapore are working together in a beneficial way, Chun said.
As Singapore actions steps down from its energy sector, Chun mentioned that these jobs are also pioneering because cross-border power trading is now constrained in the area. Their large size is also something to keep in mind, for instance, a 1,000-kilometer high voltage direct current wire from Vietnam. They are thus facing regulatory problems.
But, once cleared, they are expected to accelerate the development of cross-border buying, according to Chun.
The Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power project, for example, took years to negotiate but is now the first successful cross-border power trading initiative across four Southeast Asian ( SEA ) countries. To improve trading volume and make multi-directional trading more profitable, discussions are currently being conducted. This advancement is in line with the Asian power grid’s goal, which promotes cross-border trading and benefits various SEA nations.
A national hydrogen strategy, which outlines the potential pathways for gas to be adopted in the energy sector, which could account for up to 50 % of the power mix, is another initiative being taken in the nation. Recognising the price differential for innovative solutions, Singapore is seeking “Pathfinder projects”. As a part of this action, Singapore aims to work with the business to experiment with and build up abilities in superior gas technologies, and identify and address any professional, protection, or regulatory issues that may arise.
Chen said that the private sector and financial institutions are closely involved in this phased approach. Currently, the focus is on shortlisting consultants and conducting pre-field studies, with funding secured to support these initiatives. The goal of the approach is to address the cost disparities brought on by new technologies and ensure the project’s viability and bankability.
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