The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will deploy 241 GW of solar PV by 2030, this technology will control new capacity increases.
According to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), countries in the ASEAN region could reach 2.4 TW of installed capacity by mid-century if they adopt a 100% renewable energy approach. In this scenario, by 2050, photovoltaic solar energy will account for 60% of renewable energy sources.
Regardless of the scenario explored in the report, by 2050 from 34% to 100% renewable energy, PV solar panels will be "ASEAN's most important carbon source".
In the year Between 2018 and 2020, electricity generation from installed renewable energy sources in ASEAN member countries increased from 28% to 33.5%, thanks to the rapid expansion of solar PV.
Between 2018 and 2050, more than $1.2 trillion in solar PV alone will be needed to fully transition to renewable energy, according to the report. The figure at the end of this decade was $156 billion.
Indonesia (24.18 GW), Vietnam (17.86 GW) and Thailand (11.15 GW) will lead the annual increase in solar PV systems and will be the only countries to install more than 10 GW per year by 2050. Overall, IRENA will see ASEAN countries add 64 GW of solar power annually by 2050.
Earlier this year, Vietnam set its solar targets for this decade "too high", largely due to grid-stress issues affecting renewable energy production, and its government has set targets for countries far below IRENA's estimates for the coming decades. .
IRENA Director General Francesco La Camera said: “As the region embarks on more ambitious climate goals, including a commitment to net zero emissions, planning must really start now. While ASEAN has ambitious renewable energy goals in the short term, the region needs to think and plan for the long term.
In addition, regional solar PV hotspots are located in Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia, as well as in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. These three countries have the highest electricity demand in ASEAN, along with Java-Bali in Indonesia.
Two Indonesian islands will import more than 1,000 TWh in 100% renewables by 2050, tripling the UK's electricity demand by 2021.
This will require an investment of approximately 200 billion dollars in the near future in the electricity grid throughout the region, nationally and internationally, with increased distribution, which will allow for a better integration of renewable energy.
In terms of land scarcity, Singapore is one of the countries that relies on importing renewable energy, and the city-state plans to import up to 4 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035.
According to IRENA, many ASEAN countries have key mineral resources for renewable technologies, and policies should support manufacturing industries to achieve GWh-solar PV and battery capacity.
