ASEAN countries are projected to still use carbon in power generation in 2050 .
under the current national and foreign policies on the climate-energy nexus , such as the Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution ( ENDC ) and Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement ( GCCPS ).
Based on the current trends and projections , Coal Fired Power Plants ( CFPP ) will remain operational even during the energy transition , serving as stable supply sources and balancing sources through flexible operation until energy storage technology fully blooms and becomes affordable . Therefore , Clean Coal Technology ( CCT ) and / or Clean Coal Utilisation ( CCU ) is the optimal solution to achieve carbon neutrality while ensuring energy security during the transition . ASEAN could employ this type of technology to use coal power in the cleanest possible manner .
Since the possibility of introducing new coalfired power plants is slim globally , the practice of CCT and CCU should be introduced as “ add-ons ” to existing power plants , namely ( 1 ) air quality control system and ( 2 ) technology for flexibility and balancing . In ASEAN , ongoing projects with CCU technologies can be found in the use of biomass , hydrogen , and ammonia , CCS projects and energy storage . Moreover , there are several best practices from other countries that apply technologies that modify the plant , such as biomass co-firing by mixing the ratio up to 50 % and dedicated firing with diverse types and plant scale , ammonia cofiring and green ammonia production , hydrogen utilisation , supply chain of carbon-neutral fuels , and CCU technology .
By assessing the CCT and CCU deployment in the region , ASEAN member states ( AMS ) still face bottlenecks . There is a lack of commercial business models in the feasibility stage due to high business risks followed by share and transfer financial risk and public acceptance . Meanwhile , there are technical failures and policies and regulations during the deployment . Thus , a survey with ASEAN focal points on technology readiness and acceptance was conducted . Based on the online survey , most countries have common challenges in technology procurement for carbon neutrality and energy transition : technical , financial costs , and enabling policy and regulatory framework . In addition , land acquisition and geographical constraints pose a significant threat .
Therefore , to accelerate the CCT and CCU technologies in the supporting carbon neutrality targets of the region , the following actions are
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