This week in energy: talking gas for Asia in NYC, methane emissions in focus and a milestone for global CCS

The Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association (ANGEA) regularly compiles a selection of stories from the energy world that have caught our eye.??? ??????????????????????????????

Given the region in which we operate –?and our purpose?– this collection of content is largely Asia-focused. But we also look further afield, knowing that developments, trends and technology from around the world also have an impact across our region.?

ASEAN Centre for Energy launches 8th Energy Outlook

A significant milestone in the past fortnight for our partner organisation the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), which released its 8th Energy Outlook as part of the ASEAN Energy Business Forum in Laos.

The Outlook is a very thorough document that examines a variety of scenarios for ASEAN nations as they seek to strike a delicate balance between meeting rising energy demand and reducing emissions over the next few decades.

The report makes it very clear that natural gas is essential to achieving this balance, stating:

"Natural gas retains a stable and crucial role across all scenarios, acting as a transition fuel due to its flexibility and relatively lower emissions compared to coal."

ANGEA commends Beni Suryadi and his team at ACE on the release of the Outlook and we look forward to working with them to accelerate energy transition development and strengthen energy security as part of our recently signed MOU.

Access the 8th Energy Outlook: https://bit.ly/3ZF70Ib

Talking natural gas and Asia in the city that never sleeps

While the role of gas in Asia's future energy systems was being discussed close to home as a result of the Energy Outlook launch, a similarly-themed conversation was unfolding more than 13,000km away in Midtown Manhattan.

ANGEA, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , was delighted to host a panel session during the North American Climate Summit, focused on the unique role of natural gas in Asia's energy transition.

It was a lively and extremely relevant dialogue, with a panel consisting of ANGEA CEO Paul Everingham , Okada Masaki from bp , Fred H. Hutchison from LNG Allies , Takajiro Ishikawa from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Randolph Bell from JERA Co., Inc. . Marty Durbin from the Global Energy Institute deftly handled moderation duties.

The session was also very well-timed and located, coming against the backdrop of Climate Week and the meeting of the UN General Assembly unfolding in New York.

ANGEA is grateful to IETA for the opportunity to be part of the Summit and to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its work in organising our side-event.

As Paul wrote in his most recent website blog, Laos and New York may not appear to have much in common but this week they shared a critical topic of discussion about Asia's energy future.

"It’s essential that Asia’s energy circumstances and the unique energy transition pathways of its nations are properly understood by policy makers in gas-producing jurisdictions around the world."

Read Paul's full blog: https://bit.ly/4eJ2yfG

Working to reduce methane emissions in Southeast Asia

On the subject of industry collaboration and important energy events, ANGEA Chief of Staff Laila Nowell was very pleased to be our representative at the launch of the ASEAN Energy Sector Methane Leadership Programme (MLP) 2.0 in Malaysia this week.

ANGEA and its member companies have a strong commitment to working to reduce emissions from the global gas value chain, which is why we have become a contributing partner to the Programme, alongside our member Woodside Energy and partner body the ASEAN Centre for Energy.

The MLP aims to build Southeast Asia's capacity and capabilities in measuring, monitoring, reporting and reducing methane emissions, and the 2.0 phase will lead to the establishment of a Southeast Asia Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Centre (METEC).

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4etYiB6

More LNG importers set to sign up to CLEAN Initiative

The CLEAN Initiative - launched last year by JERA Co., Inc. and KOGAS - is set to receive a shot in the arm with more than 20 Japanese companies set to sign up to be part of the project.

Nikkei Asia reported that the companies would announce their commitment as part of the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference in Hiroshima starting Sunday. The list of sign-ups includes major LNG buyers like Tokyo Gas, 三菱商事 and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. , along with smaller regional ventures like Hiroshima Gas Co Ltd .

CLEAN, which is supported by the US and Australian Governments and the European Commission, involves LNG buyers working with suppliers to encourage sharing of information about methane emissions, with a view to collaborating on monitoring, measuring and mitigation solutions through the value chain.

Read more: https://s.nikkei.com/3BGLicD

Another big investment from Japan in LNG

The already 46-year relationship between PETRONAS and 三菱商事 will stretch even further, with the Japanese trading house making significant commitments to two LNG projects in Malaysia.

In yet another endorsement of the long-term importance of LNG to energy in Asia, Mitsubishi will extend its 10 per cent equity investment in MLNG Dua and reinvest in 10 per cent of MLNG Tiga over the next decade.?

Read more: https://bit.ly/47VyoUj

Singapore sees LNG demand rising on data centre boom

In a further sign of the impact of growing use of artificial intelligence and expansion of data centres on power demand, Singapore LNG is projecting an increase in LNG demand for electricity generation.

While this is a global trend to many extents, growth in Asia Pacific is particularly strong, with numerous projections of the region's data centre market growing between 12 and 14 per cent per annum over the next five years.

Again, it highlights the importance of major gas-producing nations around the world continuing to bring on future LNG export projects to meet the needs of Asia Pacific (and other markets).

Read more: https://bit.ly/481MbZL

Lights (Northern), camera, action!

An exciting milestone this week for the global carbon capture and storage industry - with the world’s first cross-border CO2?transport and storage facility complete and ready to receive its first delivery.

Given the importance of cross-border CCS to decarbonisation in Asia over the next few decades, learnings from the Northern Lights JV project in Europe are very likely to help inform developments in our region.

Northern Lights, which has first phase capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year, will store captured emissions beneath the seabed of the North Sea.

Read more about the start-up of Northern Lights: https://bit.ly/4gBwGeG

Learn more about ANGEA's work in cross-border CCS: https://bit.ly/3R3Vem3

About ANGEA

Based in Singapore, the Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association is an industry association with a membership that spans the full global gas value chain: from production, to transport, infrastructure, manufacturing, end users, and others. ANGEA works constructively with governments, society and industry throughout Asia, to build effective and integrated energy policies that meet each country’s climate objectives, while promoting national and regional economic sustainable growth.