Indonesia Aims to Become ASEAN’s Future Energy Hub: Deputy Minister

KBRN, Jakarta: Indonesia must prepare to position itself as the regional energy hub for ASEAN, amid the bloc’s ongoing efforts to integrate its energy systems, Indonesian Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung said.

Speaking to a delegation of Indonesian journalists after attending the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, October 16, 2025, Yuliot emphasized Indonesia’s readiness to play a central role in the region’s energy landscape.

“With ASEAN’s power grid integration underway, we can already see from the mapping that this is feasible. The region’s energy demand will continue to rise significantly, and Indonesia must be ready to position itself as ASEAN’s energy hub,” Yuliot said.

As part of this effort, Indonesia continues to expand its green energy development to support future energy exports within the region. The country has also established its Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) for 2025–2034, which outlines the roadmap for national energy infrastructure.

“In total, the power grid we plan to develop spans around 48,000 circuit kilometers. This is the infrastructure required nationally, which we will integrate with the ASEAN grid,” he explained.

Indonesia has also identified an investment requirement of around IDR 600 trillion to support national and regional electricity integration. The financing, Yuliot noted, will not rely solely on public funds but will also require private sector participation.

“We need to encourage private investment in national grid development and ASEAN connectivity. So, we are opening investment opportunities for that,” he said.

Yuliot further noted that, as Timor-Leste prepares to become a full ASEAN member, Indonesia’s renewable energy exports could eventually extend to the country, which currently depends heavily on diesel power.

“With the renewable energy capacity we are developing, this could become a shared opportunity,” Yuliot remarked, adding that the details of cooperation with Timor-Leste would be formulated collaboratively in the future. ***