BIMP-EAGA is rich in energy resources, both conventional and renewable, including geothermal power. Photo credit: Asian Development Bank
An oil and gas expo highlighting business opportunities in BIMP-EAGA is slated on 23 to 24 August.
According to the event’s program, the BIMP-EAGA Energy Online Conference & Exhibition 2021 will feature top government and industry officials as resource speakers and offer networking opportunities. The event is organized by Kota Kinabalu-based Midas Events Management and supported by the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (Sabah).
Electricity for all
Energy security is key to BIMP-EAGA’s economic growth, The subregion is rich in energy resources, both conventional and renewable.
The West Borneo Economic Corridor is BIMP-EAGA’s oil and gas corridor as it passes through areas of Brunei Darussalam, West Kalimantan in Indonesia, and Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia that are major exporters of crude petroleum and natural gas.
Sources of renewable energy include natural gas, hydropower, solar, bio-mass, wind, and geothermal energy.
The subregion needs massive infrastructure investments for power generation, transmission, and distribution to improve access to electricity in the remote and less-developed areas of the subregion. According to the Vision 2025 plan, the four BIMP-EAGA countries Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines want to bring electricity to all rural households in the subregion by 2025.
One of the priority projects that has been completed in the subregion is the Trans-Borneo Power Grid Sarawak–West Kalimantan Interconnection Project, the first between Indonesia and Malaysia. The project is considered a model for future power grid interconnections in the subregion and paves the way toward realizing the ASEAN Power Grid.
Challenges and opportunities
The virtual forum intends to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and solutions in the oil and gas industry and in the power and energy infrastructure sector. It will look at how the subregion can transition to clean and renewable energy, industry trends, latest technologies, prospects in transmission and distribution projects, among others.
Another objective is to provide a platform for participants to establish business or research relations, find global partners for future collaboration, and explore infrastructure financing as well as education for advancing the BIMP-EAGA energy sector. There will also be a virtual exhibition where companies can showcase their products and services.
The online conference will follow Malaysia time.
Resource speakers
Big names from government include Sabah Chief Minister and Sabah Minister of Finance Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji bin Haji Mohd Noor, Indonesia Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif, Mindanao Development Authority Chairman Emmanuel F. Piñol, and Sabah Special Envoy of the BIMP-EAGA Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin bin Mulia.
Other speakers include Madana Nallappan, lead energy analyst, Energy Industries Council; Ir Mohamed Firouz Asnan, senior vice-president, Malaysia Petroleum Management, Upstream Business, Petronas; Ricardo B. Dela Cruz, assistant director, Energy Resource Development Bureau, Department of Energy, Philippines; Ezran Mahadzir, CEO, Petronas LNG Ltd., Gas & New Energy Business, Petronas; Jesus T. Tamang, director, Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, Department of Energy, Philippines; Jay Mariyappan, head, New Energy, Petronas; Marissa P. Cerezo, assistant director, Renewable Energy Management Bureau, Department of Energy, Philippines; Nurhafiza Binti Mohamed Hasan, director, Industry Planning and Development, Energy Commission Malaysia; Mario C. Marasigan, director, Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, Department of Energy, Philippines; Yang Berbahagia Dato Ir. Alice Jawan Empaling, permanent secretary, Ministry of Utilities, Sarawak; Hazli Sham Kassim, regional coordinator, South & Southeast Asia, International Gas Union, and president, Malaysian Gas Association; Tetchi Cruz-Capellan, steering committee member, Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association, and president, Philippine Solar Power Alliance; Muhammad Abdul Kholiq, vice-chairman, Asia Pacific Biogas Alliance and chairman, Indonesian Biogas Association; Dato’ Paduka Ts. Udani Bin Dato’ Seri Mohamed Daud, group executive chairman, MaxEnergy Group; Wei-nee Chen, vice-president, New Energy Ventures, Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd; Hoyyen Chan, energy specialist, Invite Green Consultancy; and Sarah Fairhurst, advisor and independent board director, SFairhurst Advisory.
The event organizer says the exhibition and networking platforms will give participants the chance to network and to reach buyers and decision makers across BIMP-EAGA.
Previous events organized by Midas Events Management include the SOGCE, or the Sabah Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, and REGTech Sabah, or Renewable Energy and Green Technology Sabah.