Asia needs to invest in its electricity power production

Asia may need as much as $ 1.35-$ 1.42 tn to invest in its electricity power production because Asia's economic growth is forecasted to be higher than other regions in 2020, while oil, gas and petrochemical production may require $ 1.1 bn.
Morgan Stanley said research from the Asian Pacific Energy Research Centre forecasts that Asia will need a huge amount of money to serve and boost the region's economic boom in 2020 which will be the largest expanding region in the world. He added that the most important need for the promotion of transparent investment is a clear regulation. He said the money for further investment will come from foreign loans, privatisation or finding a strategic partner.

Meanwhile, the Energy Minister of Indonesia, Purnomo Yuasgiantores, said Indonesia's main power comes from coal and gas but its coal is mediocre quality, nothing outstanding. Indonesian coal reserves will last for another 200 years, while its 30 tcf of gas have been sold, from a total of 135 tcf.
TheIndonesian government has also opened the country's economic and business expansion by inviting foreign investors into the industry. Unocal is one of the investors that is exploiting natural gas and crude oil.

He added that Asia's oil still relies on imports from the Middle East but it could be reduced in the future if Asian countries become more corporative.
However, Indonesia still has a black out problem since the economic crisis of 1997, despite the fact that it has many power plants. He said the idea of the ASEAN power grid is difficult to be realistically implemented because it requires such a large sum to subsidise the project.