Hiroshima, 27 September 2023: The 3rd Asia CCUS Network (ACN) Forum took place on 27 September 2023, at the Hilton Hiroshima Hotel, Japan, utilising a hybrid format. The event was jointly hosted by ERIA, serving as the ACN Secretariat, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Japan. The Forum commenced with opening addresses from HE Mr Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry in Japan, and Prof Tetsuya Watanabe, President of ERIA. Distinguished ministers and delegates from ACN member countries also shared their remarks. The event drew participation from more than 100 in-person attendees and approximately 600 online participants.

The primary objective of the Forum was to enhance comprehension of Carbon Capture and Storage/Utilization (CCS/CCUS) on a commercial basis, drawing upon the current progress in CCS technology. This, in turn, was anticipated to encourage the initiation of the first CCS pilot project in the ASEAN region. Keynote speeches were delivered by prominent figures, including Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA); Mr Noah Deich, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Carbon Management at the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), United States Department of Energy (US-DOE); Mr Jarad Daniels, Secretary-General of the Global CCS Institute (GCCSI); and Dr Yamamoto Koji, Vice President of the Energy Business Unit at the Japan Organization of Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC).

The initial panel discussion centred on the global trends in CCS and was skillfully moderated by Dr I Gusti Sidemen, a CCS/CCUS Expert from ERIA. The panel featured participants from the Institute of Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ), The World Bank, and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. The subsequent panel discussion concentrated on the CCS Policy Roadmap, moderated by Mr Shigeru Kimura, Special Advisor to ERIA President on Energy Affairs. The panelists consisted of six members from the ACN Advisory Group, representing Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and the United States.

During one of the sessions, the Forum witnessed three significant signing ceremonies. The first involved the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS). The second ceremony pertained to the signing of Terms of Collaboration between the Department of Mineral Fuels (DMF) in Thailand and JOGMEC. The third signing event involved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Japan CCS Co., (JCCS), and the Victoria State Government, Australia.

In the concluding session, Dr Han Phoumin, Senior Energy Economist at ERIA, presented a report summarizing ACN's activities from 2022 to 2023, as well as an activity plan for 2023-2024. Dr Phoumin also delivered the Joint Statement of the 3rd Asia CCUS Network Forum, underscoring the pivotal role of CCUS in Asia in achieving each country's objectives of carbon neutrality. The statement emphasised ACN's importance as a platform encompassing governments, industry, academia, financial institutions, and international organizations, aimed at expediting the implementation of CCS and CCUS through knowledge sharing and capacity building in the areas of CO2 storage capacity, legal and regulatory frameworks, and financing and carbon credit in Asia.

In the closing remarks, HE Mr Yoshida Nobuhiro, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of METI, Japan, emphasised the importance of CCUS implementation in the Asian region through collaboration between Japan and Asian countries, symbolised by the signing of MOUs, MOCs, and TORs.