Carbon Capture Could Anchor ASEAN’s Renewable Energy Transition

Researchers modeled the region’s energy future using the 'urbs' planning tool, comparing a purely renewable expansion against one integrated with carbon capture. By 2050, the integration of capture-equipped plants could reduce wasted solar electricity—known as curtailment—by approximately 86% across the ASEAN bloc. This shift allows existing infrastructure to serve as a reliable backup, preventing the need to overbuild solar capacity to cover nighttime demand.

The findings indicate that battery storage requirements could drop by as much as 90% in Vietnam and 75% in Indonesia and the Philippines. Rather than decommissioning coal and gas plants prematurely, the model suggests that retrofitting more than 90% of existing gas facilities offers a cost-effective path to meeting emissions targets. While this approach relies on the geological storage potential of countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, the authors emphasize that success depends on regional policy coordination and the development of carbon transport infrastructure. Ultimately, the study presents carbon capture not as a replacement for renewables, but as a strategic tool to handle the intermittency of solar energy in emerging economies.