Integrated energy system planning for equitable access to sustainable energy for remote communities in the APEC regions using North Sulawesi as a pilot project/testbed
The APEC region is experiencing rapid growth in energy consumption through economic development of remote locations. Bitung/North Sulawesi is one of those regions. The local government is committed to clean, efficient and sustainable energy for all, while attracting new investment in new industries.
This project grew from relationships nurtured by the Energy Cluster’s research activities. It aimed to build on an APEC-funded low carbon model town (LCMT) study for Bitung. It aimed to develop a low-carbon energy roadmap containing practical information to support the investment and policy decisions of local governments, energy providers, businesses and finance institutions.
Specific goals include:
- Modelling of optimal least-cost, energy-efficiency based electrification scenarios based on community needs.
- A public web-based forum for sharing learnings and data
- Policy-relevant action plans for electrification of grid-edge APEC towns and communities, focusing on Bitung as a case study.
- Collaboration with PPFS, Ocean and Fisheries and Tourism WG on food-energy-water nexus will be included.
The socioeconomic analysis and techno-economic modelling developed in conjunction with policy and regulatory recommendations will cover Bitung, Manado and the Special Economic Zone. This work will enable the sustainable and energy efficient development of the Bitung region system to become a prototype for developing APEC regions. The project aimed to to collaborate with technical and analytical experts from other APEC economies and other international agencies.
The project is ongoing.