30/09/2007 (India Post) - ASEAN energy ministers have held several discussions on issues of petroleum security, energy from renewable sources and on concerns regarding nuclear energy. A regular feature of the ASEAN, the meeting of energy ministers in the last week of August 2007 was notable for the vision it outlined for the future.

Energy security has been one of the areas where ASEAN had not taken any concrete steps though issues like nuclear energy, bio energy and the establishment of power grids were discussed earlier.

This meeting took a time-bound approach to meet the energy requirements for the region. In terms of generation and sharing of power, ASEAN countries have embarked on the project of creating an ASEAN Power Grid and Trans ASEAN gas pipeline.

This was envisaged in the ASEAN Vision 2020 and also was adopted in the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation in June 2004. As of date there are two inter-connected electricity networks in ASEAN, namely Cambodia-Vietnam and Thailand-Cambodia, though nine more are planned for the future.

The three ASEAN countries Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have also endorsed three inter-connected power transmission networks which would cost about US$1 billion. There was also a provision for ensuring energy efficiency in the member countries.

In addition, many countries are looking for nuclear power plants so as to fuel their economic growth. Though there has been resistance in countries like Indonesia and Philippines for such an initiative, other countries like Thailand, Vietnam and even Indonesia despite being in the Pacific "ring of fire" (seismically active zone), has embarked on an ambitious plan for energy security through nuclear power plants.

By 2020 most of these countries would have at least one nuclear power reactor to meet their energy needs. Moreover, these countries are looking at the viability of floating nuclear power plants. Floating nuclear power plants are floating ships which have a nuclear reactor on board which can supply electricity to any small town or city along the coast.

This saves the consumer country the hassles of training of nuclear scientists and disposal of nuclear waste. Issues have been raised about the cost effectiveness of nuclear power plants and nuclear proliferation concerns at the global level. In this context it becomes imperative for India to observe and take active interest in these areas of energy security.

Tata has already acquired stakes in Indonesian Coal fields while Reliance Energy has been scouting for oil exploration rights in Timor Leste. In terms of exploration, ONGC Videsh has a presence in Vietnam's Lan Lay-Lan Do basin.

India can look forward for energy supplies from this region be it in terms of palm oil-propelled bio fuel initiatives or for that matter new areas of gas exploration in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In terms of hydro- electricity even a country like Laos can be of much interest to India because of the surplus electricity that it produces. It is true that Southeast Asia might not have a huge energy potential but it has many unexplored areas of oil and gas as well as newer forms of energy.

In case Southeast Asian countries are successful in their endeavor for power through nuclear energy and bio fuels then it would make available the non renewable sources of energy which India can seek for its economy; however, India will have to fight another energy-hungry country like China.

In fact, in countries in mainland Southeast Asia, India can enjoy its leverage vis-a-vis the lesser developed countries of the region by providing them the technological expertise and also contributing to their human resource development in the energy sector.

India can only benefit if it modulates its ambivalent policy in the region to have futuristic benefits.