Indonesia’s plan to integrate the Philippines into the Trans Borneo Power Grid presents a major opportunity for the country to position itself as a regional electricity supply hub in Southeast Asia. The initiative builds on existing interconnections, such as the Sarawak–West Kalimantan grid (operational since 2016), and ongoing cooperation with Malaysia, where Indonesia already imports hydropower for Kalimantan. Expanding the network to the Philippines would improve energy distribution efficiency and strengthen regional cooperation, but it also introduces significant technical challenges, particularly the need for high-voltage submarine cables linking Borneo or Sabah to islands like Palawan or Mindanao. Additionally, Southeast Asia’s complex archipelagic geography and the high capital expenditure (capex) required for such infrastructure make implementation difficult, requiring strong collaboration between governments and industry players. Despite its vast energy resources—including coal, gas, geothermal, and renewables—Indonesia faces key structural and regulatory constraints that could hinder its ambitions. Experts highlight the lack of a comprehensive regulatory framework for cross-border electricity trade, including rules on tariffs, taxation, power purchase agreements, and system reliability. Strengthening the domestic grid is also critical, especially in terms of transmission backbone, system flexibility, digitalization, power reserves, and real-time operations. While regional interconnection could allow Indonesia to export electricity when competitive and import when cheaper, ensuring national energy security remains a priority. To fully capitalize on this opportunity, the government is urged to develop a clear ASEAN interconnection roadmap, align it with national energy plans, finalize the Renewable Energy Bill (RUU EBET), and ensure project feasibility based on actual demand and cost competitiveness. With projected investments of nearly IDR 2,967 trillion in the electricity sector (2025–2034), Indonesia has strong potential, but success depends on overcoming governance, infrastructure, and market readiness challenges.Source: https://ekonomi.bisnis.com/read/20260512/44/1973331/peluang-ri-jadi-pusat-pasokan-listrik-asean (ICE GIACARTA)

Fonte notizia: Bisnis.com, 12 May 2026