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JAKARTA (April 14): Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit (EAS) need to bolster the use of renewable energy sources and work for energy sufficiency, as well as clean energy transition or decarbonisation.
The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) Chief Operating Officer, Hachiyama Koji said this in a press conference on Tuesday, to reveal the outcomes of a study on hydrogen as an important part of carbon neutrality for ASEAN.
The application of new energy technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) must be combined with that of clean technologies, reported Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
Of note, hydrogen should be carefully considered because it does not emit CO2 and can be used in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) for transportation, for heat production in industry, and in power generation.
To support the further development of innovative technology and appropriate policies, ERIA initiated the EAS Hydrogen Working Group in 2019 as a platform for EAS countries to understand each other in terms of hydrogen demand, supply, and supply chain progress in the region.
At the press conference, a representative of the working group underlined the important role of hydrogen towards carbon neutrality in the long term, and shared measures to turn hydrogen into a commercial energy source.
Support from governments to increase hydrogen consumption, including exemption of import tariffs, is also necessary, heard the event.
Researchers proposed setting a target of mixing hydrogen to natural gas at gas power plants starting from 5% by 2030, and bolstering discussions on hydrogen’s contribution to decarbonisation and cooperation framework, so as to boost its use in EAS countries.
