Powering ASEAN Together - The EU at Future of the Grid 2026

Join the European Union on 27 October for a keynote and panel on practical pathways to strengthen the ASEAN Power Grid.

The ASEAN Power Grid aims to give more than 670 million people in the region access to reliable and affordable electricity while deepening regional integration through sustainable cross-border energy infrastructure. As ASEAN moves from vision to projects, the key questions are practical: how do grid operators plan and operate together, which technologies can enable large volumes of clean power across borders, and which rules are needed to make cross-border trade work and attract investment?

Europe’s experience, shared as a partner

Europe has spent decades turning physically connected national grids into one of the world’s most integrated electricity markets. That journey has been built on harmonised technical standards, joint planning and coordination among transmission system operators (TSOs), market coupling, and close cooperation between regulators. It has strengthened security of supply, lowered costs, and made it possible to share renewable energy across borders. It has also shown that regional integration is a long-term process, built step by step and grounded in trust between neighbours.

Stepping up EU support for the ASEAN Power Grid

At the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels in October 2025, the EU announced increased support for sustainable energy connectivity in Southeast Asia. The EU and European development banks, including the European Investment Bank, the French development agency AFD, KfW, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO, and European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI), signed a Joint Declaration of Intent with the Asian Development Bank to scale up support for the ASEAN Power Grid. The signing was witnessed by the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Centre for Energy and ASEAN Member States.

“Reliable access to clean energy means better education, lower costs, stronger local businesses, and greater energy security. The ASEAN Power Grid will make all this possible,” said Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships.

Under the Global Gateway strategy, the EU is scaling up its engagement in the ASEAN Power Grid through a Team Europe approach by bringing together its Member States, European development finance institutions, and the private sector to provide technical and financing assistance to ASEAN. This cooperation also strengthens the EU–ASEAN Strategic Partnership as the two regions will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their relations in 2027.

The session

H.E. Marina Rafti, Ambassador of the European Union to ASEAN, will open the session. A panel moderated by Mr Bernhard Meyhöfer, Key Expert Clean Energy at the EU’s TAF-GTEI, will bring together:

• Ms Emmanuelle Wargon, Chairwoman, Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE), France: regulatory cooperation and market frameworks.
• Mr Didier Wiot, CEO, Elia Grid International: TSO cooperation and joint grid planning.
• Mr Thorbjörn Fors, Vice President Asia Pacific, Siemens Energy: HVDC, grid-stability and digital technologies.
• Mr Alessandro Panico, Principal – Strategy & Regulation, Prysmian: delivering subsea interconnectors and making projects bankable.

Policymakers, grid operators, regulators and industry will highlight concrete lessons from Europe, a clearer view of the priority steps to unlock cross-border power trade, and opportunities for continued EU–ASEAN cooperation.