Using Renewable Energy in Asia to Curb Carbon Emissions

Asia is home to the top 5 polluters of the world, namely China, India, and Japan. The growing population will increase Asia’s carbon emissions and energy demands (How Climate Change, 2019).

They need to use renewable energy to curb climate-change-causing emissions while providing solutions to Asia’s growing energy demands.

There have been efforts to transition into renewable energy to curb its carbon, although not at the pace it needs. India is slowly tapping into its renewable resources for the sheer demand of its massive population, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) article.

It’s a fact that Asia has an abundance of renewable resources to tap into, such as solar, wind, tidal, and geothermal energy. The question is, will it do so, and to what extent?

The renewable sector in Asia is growing steadily as its economy grows at 4% per annum. Its renewable energy capacity has doubled in the last five years, slowly phasing out the older fuel resource. Renewable energy installations have also grown in the regions (The Future of Renewable Energy, 2019).

Is Asia’s Super Grid a good proposal?

Eco-Business (2019) says, “If Asia could build an interconnected, diversified energy grid, renewable resource-rich locations could be linked to high energy demand centres. The wide geographical spread of countries with differing peak times would allow for greater energy security and help each country accelerate its low-carbon transition.”

Currently, the only multilateral grid links Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia in Southeast Asia. The article narrates that Thailand has “expressed its plan to be the region’s power trading hub, reviving the original ASEAN Power Grid idea. “

A borderless renewable industry is the idea behind Asia Super Grid, the brainchild of Masayoshi Son, the chief executive officer of Japanese multinational Softbank. The Article says this came about after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011 when the country sought a new renewable energy source.

The Super Grid proposes a Northeast Asia interconnection that would allow ‘high-energy’ consumer countries like Japan, South Korea, and China to access renewable resources in Mongolia and Russia.

Christopher Len of the Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore, says, “Instead of relying on individual local generating sources, a transnational energy network would enable a more stable supply of clean energy, which could be transmitted whenever there is demand” (Eco-Business, 2019).

Benefits of the Super Grid

A borderless, interconnected grid within Asia will:

• Solve renewables intermittency issues as the interconnected grid would link high-demand centres to its renewable resources.
• The wide geographical spread of renewable resources and the grid will ensure a stable energy source because of differing peak times, thus enhancing the region’s energy security and providing access to areas lacking or unstable electricity supply.
• Provide a stable supply of clean energy to “wean off polluting fossil fuels and improve quality of life”, Len says in the Article.
• Provide cheaper energy.
• Open new markets for renewable energy among the regions.

Mika Ohbayashi, Director of the Renewable Energy Institute in Japan, referring to China and EEurope’slong-distance use of high voltage, direct current electric transmission cables, says, “We compare to 10 or 20 years ago, both renewables and the technology needed to connect these countries have become very cheap.” “

He further states, “Asian countries have long traded with one another, but cross-border electricity trading will require another level of trust. Clean energy interconnectivity will bring on a new era of prosperity and stronger ties.”

Is renewable energy in Asia attainable?

Indeed, using renewable energy sources is the best option to curb Carbon emissions in Asia. How the vision of a super grid and other efforts shall be realised will depend on how the countries cooperate and move forward to achieve the common goal.

A resurgence and intensification of using renewable energy sources in Asia will be a step toward climate change adaptation and mitigation.

PHOTO CREDIT: By User: Vmenkov – Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link