Capacity Building Training on Energy: Policies and Prospects for Regional Energy Cooperation

Priority Sector : Energy
Timeframe: 2013
Estimated budget: USD 80,000
Project Status: ongoing
Source of Funding: GTI

Background

The Northeast Asia Region (NEA) is rich in its natural resources with wide land and huge population and is also notable for its fast economic growth in recent years, resulting increase of energy demands in the countries including China, Republic of Korea and Japan.  The bilateral or multilateral cooperation has made progress including regional energy cooperation mechanism established, export/import of oil and LNG increased, and some vision and initiative conceptualized.  A number of bilateral MoU and agreements in various areas of energy cooperation have been signed between energy producing/exporting countries (Russia and Mongolia) and energy consuming/importing countries (Republic of Korea, China, and Japan). Some vision and initiatives including Long-Term Vision of Natural Gas Infrastructure designed by NEA Gas and Pipeline Forum (NAGPF), NEA Regional Electrical System Ties project (NEAREST), Common Oil Market and Joint Oil Stockpiling initiatives were conceptualized.  Crude oil and LNG supplies from Russia to NEA countries are increasing every year and the Russia – China large-scale power supply project is now underway.

Fostering regional cooperation in the energy sector has long been of prime interest for the GTI member governments. At the 8th CC meeting (Sept. 2005, Changchun, China), the GTI member countries adopted the GTI Strategic Action Plan for the Period 2006 to 2015 which identified energy as one of the priority sectors for GTI cooperation. In pursuit of the commitments, at the 9th GTI CC meeting (15th Nov. 2007, Vladivostok, Russia)， the GTI Energy Board was established as an advisory board to GTI member governments as well as an institutional tool to facilitate energy cooperation in Northeast Asia (NEA). The project “baseline study for energy cooperation in NEA was implemented with the final report delivered.

Energy cooperation in the region still faces a number of challenges. Energy cooperation activities under GTI and the Intergovernmental Collaborative Mechanism on Energy Cooperation in NEA (ICM–ECNEA) of UN ESCAP are suffering from lack of political support and institution. The bilateral energy ties face challenges of huge financial requirements, discord in the views on the price-setting mechanism and so on. Furthermore, multilateral regional cooperation is lagging far behind its bilateral collaboration in comparison with other regions (EU and ASEAN).

Bringing together the stakeholders from the GTI member governments with the aim of reviewing related national policies, identifying common interests and chartering the course to the revitalization of mutually beneficial collaborative activities could be considered a stepping stone in reinforcing a long-lasting and sustainable drive for enhanced energy cooperation in NEA, in particular that pursued under the GTI framework.  The GTI Energy Action Plan for 2011-2012 identifies that the focal activities in energy sector are the Energy Policy Coordination and Capacity Building, and defines its midterm project for Capacity Building on Policy and Prospects with the regular energy overview of NEA.

There is much to be done to properly address the challenges confronting the development of energy collaborative initiatives and projects in the region, and thereby unleashing the enormous potential of NEA energy cooperation. In order to enhance energy security and environmental sustainability in the region, central and local governments, industry, and academia in the countries involved, should work together to build awareness of the benefits of energy collaborative projects in NEA and devise and implement solutions to the challenges of regional energy cooperation. Bringing together the stakeholders in the GTI member governments with the aim of reviewing related national policies, identifying common interests, and charting a course to the revitalization of mutually beneficial collaborative activities, can be a stepping-stone in rejuvenating the long-standing drive for enhanced energy cooperation in NEA, and in particular, cooperation pursued under the GTI framework.

Objective

The objective of this project is to strengthen the capacity of national policy makers to promote regional energy cooperation in NEA by improving awareness of and deepening knowledge in the areas of common interests between countries in the energy sector, complimentary policy priorities, and possible mutually beneficial activities at the regional level. 

Scope

Identify and recruit National Consultants in each GTI member country to draft Country Reports on Energy Cooperation in NEA (discussion papers of 10-15 pages), with the support and involvement of GTI Energy Board Members and stakeholders. These National Consultants will also assist in preparations for the National Training and Stakeholders Consultation Workshops.  
 

Prepare and convene a series of National Training and Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshops hosted by the governments involved.

In consultations with the GTI Energy Board members, prepare and convene Regional Training and Knowledge Sharing Meetings.
 

Develop a draft of the GTI Energy Cooperation Program. The draft will be prepared by the Tumen Secretariat with the support of the National and International Consultants involved.
 

Submit the Compendium of Country Reports on Regional Energy Cooperation in NEA and the GTI Energy Cooperation Program to the GTI Energy Board for its consideration and approval, and publish the documents as approved.

Expected Outputs

As a result of the GTI Capacity Building Training Program on energy efficiency and renewable energy, the following outputs of are expected to be delivered:

• enhanced regional energy cooperation among the GTI member countries, notably in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energies,
• capacity building training program organised, 
• recommendations on how to further improve energy policies and pursue regional cooperation to better promote energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy utilization, 
• Publication of the training program proceedings compendium.

Related Information

 Project ToR