Members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
expressed here Monday the hope that Chinese power companies could
expand cooperation with them in the field of electric power
generation.
"Energy Ministers from the ASEAN agreed to establish a
transnational power grid. We welcome Chinese companies to
participate in bilateral and multilateral power cooperation
projects," Nicolas Tandi Dammen, Deputy Secretary General of the
ASEAN Secretariat, said at a forum on electric power cooperation
held in the southern Chinese city of Nanning.
The Malaysian energy firm Sarawak Energy Berhad brought a
package of electric power cooperation programs involving investment
of more than 6 billion US dollars to the forum, arousing interest
of major Chinese power suppliers including the State Grid, Huaneng
Power, and China Datang Corporation which are all eager to pursue a
"going-out" strategy for development.
"The domestic power industry is small-scaled and fragmented in
Cambodia, comprising 24 small power grids. The rate of
electrization is just 15 percent, so there is ample room for
development," said Khlaut Randy, the Cambodian power minister.
Cambodia is not the only power-thirsty nation in the ASEAN, with
an electricity market growing 16 percent a year, Vietnam is
desperate for new power plants to meet domestic demand.
Indonesia has made an ambitious power development plan of
raising the electrization rate to 100 percent by 2020.
Representatives from the country said the government is encouraging
private sector to invest in power generation, distribution and
transmission facilities.
The China Electricity Council estimate that investment in the
power sector of the ASEAN will amount to 200 billion US dollars in
the next five to ten years.
Chinese power companies have launched programs to develop power
resources with Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines
and Indonesia. China Southern Power Grid has transmitted 3.4
billion kwh of electricity to Vietnam via five power transmission
routes by the end of September this year.
"China's experience in power development can be shared with the
ASEAN members. China encourage power companies to 'go out', and
meanwhile we welcome competitors from the ASEAN to explore the vast
Chinese power market," said You Quan, chairman of China Electricity
Regulatory Commission.
(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2007)
