Sun Cable, developer of the Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink), and its research partners have announced the formation of the Asia Green Grid Network to drive innovation in support of an interconnected electricity grid for the purpose of accelerating transmission of renewable electricity across Asia.
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Green grids are carbon-free electricity grids transmitting power generated from renewable resources such as wind, hydropower, or solar energy. A regional green grid is a solution to power intermittency and affordable renewable power that could work efficiently and equitably for all countries involved.
The Asia Green Grid Network aims to address the fragmentation that exists in the current green grid research landscape regionally and boost collaboration to accelerate technology innovation and policy change within Asia, to support cross-border renewable electricity trade and an integrated grid.
The partners and collaborators of the Asia Green Grid Network include Surbana Jurong; The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR); the National University of Singapore Faculty of Science; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore); Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT); University of New South Wales; University of Adelaide, James Cook University, and Charles Darwin University (CDU). The Asia Green Grid Network will later be expanded to include further research institutions and corporations from other parts of Asia.
Sun Cable founder and chief strategy officer Dr Fraser Thompson said, “Cross-border trade of renewable electricity and grid integration is the cornerstone of a successful clean energy transition in Asia. Sun Cable’s research shows the potential by 2040 for grid integration in the Asia Pacific to reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 8% of current global emissions, create 870,000 jobs, and enable US$493 billion of traded electricity annually. Our vision for the Asia Green Grid Network is for this network to play a leading role in supporting the innovation to make this happen.”
Members and partners of the Asia Green Grid Network will contribute their expertise virtually through online seminars and forums. They will engage in research projects and benefit from a network of like-minded organisations who share a vision of having an integrated grid in Asia. Membership to the network is open to any corporate or academic institution with a commitment to supporting cross-border renewable electricity trade and grid integration in Asia.
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The network has also announced the launch of its introductory whitepaper, Connecting Asia: One region, one grid. Commissioned by Sun Cable, the whitepaper projects that by achieving 15% grid interconnection by 2040, an estimated 3,335TWh, equivalent to US$493 billion of electricity, will be traded in Asia Pacific annually, generating 870,000 jobs in the region. Importantly, 3,070MT of carbon dioxide emissions will be abated per annum.
