COP30: TNB A Critical Enabler To Advance Regional Energy Cooperation Via ASEAN Power Grid

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29  (Bernama) -- As one of the key utilities within the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) initiative, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) will remain as a critical enabler of ASEAN’s shared energy transition, positioning cross-border interconnection as a vital driver of regional energy integration.

Speaking at COP30, TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan cited the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power integration project as a feasible and impactful example of regional energy cooperation.

“Practical cooperation, trusted interconnections and scalable initiatives such as the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power integration project demonstrate that multilateral power trade in ASEAN is both feasible and impactful,” he was quoted as saying in TNB’s recent social media post from COP30.

COP30, officially known as the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and also as the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, is the 30th session of the UN Climate Change Conference. It was held at the Hangar Convention Centre in Belém, Brazil last month.

Another emerging area of regional cooperation discussed was the potential Vietnam–Malaysia–Singapore interconnection, which explores renewable energy development in Vietnam and cross-border transmission to Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

The initiative, involving discussions among utilities and energy companies including TNB, PETRONAS, Sembcorp and Petrovietnam, reflects ongoing efforts to assess the feasibility of expanding multilateral power trade in support of the APG.

Both initiatives support the broader APG vision to enable cross-border electricity trade and shared access to renewable energy resources, strengthening regional energy security and accelerating ASEAN’s collective energy transition.

Drawing from these experiences, Megat Jalaluddin emphasised the importance of starting with pilot projects, building operational trust, and strengthening regulatory, technical and commercial frameworks to move the region from planning into implementation.

As ASEAN chair in 2025, Malaysia continues to play a convening role in bringing together utilities, policymakers and partners to accelerate progress towards a more secure, resilient and interconnected regional power system.

Strengthening interconnection and building trust among ASEAN partners are essential to advancing collective regional progress, he said.

Moving forward, Megat Jalaluddin said the region should identify concrete steps to harmonise grid infrastructure, technical standards, and regulatory frameworks across the region to facilitate clean energy flow.

He also emphasised the importance of strengthening intergovernmental dialogue to better align policy ambitions with technological readiness, particularly in areas such as smart grids, digitalisation and distributed energy resources.

The region should also look into practical pathways to expand multilateral resource-sharing frameworks, including the activation of a regional APG task force, feasibility studies on multilateral trade corridors, and knowledge exchanges through the ASEAN Centre for Energy.

On domestic priorities, Megat Jalaluddin referred to Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) as the country’s guiding framework to support the transition towards a lower-carbon economy, with grid readiness and flexibility as key enablers.

NETR is a strategic government plan launched in 2023 to shift the country from fossil fuels to a green economy by 2050, focusing on renewable energy, energy efficiency, hydrogen, bioenergy and green mobility.

TNB’s three main goals are to increase grid-based generation, ensure Malaysia’s grid is flexible enough to integrate multiple types of energy generation, and empower customers as the key beneficiaries of the net-zero transition, he said.

“With all that, we are hopeful of achieving our goal by 2050,” he said.

Malaysia Pavilion at COP30, themed “Climate Action Now: Net Zero Pathway Unlocked,” represents the country’s commitment to accelerating climate action and strengthening regional cooperation.

TNB also supports the Pavilion’s efforts to highlight Malaysia’s energy transition journey, including grid modernisation, renewable energy integration, and the advancement of just and inclusive pathways towards net zero by 2050.

-- BERNAMA