Jakarta, 15 October 2024: Rapid economic growth across Southeast Asia has triggered an unprecedented surge in energy demand. This growth necessitates a balanced approach – one that ensures a stable energy supply while actively pursuing decarbonisation. Distributed energy systems (DES), such as rooftop solar, have gained traction amongst ASEAN Member States. However, unlike traditional energy systems, DES rely heavily on IoT devices for data transmission, which increases their vulnerability to cyber threats.

‘In a world of connected devices, energy security and cybersecurity have become two sides of the same coin.’ Consequently, cybersecurity, particularly for DES, has become a top priority in this interconnected age. In response, the Asia Zero Emission Center under ERIA has launched a critical project to promote cybersecurity for distributed energy systems and smart grids in ASEAN. This initiative is supported by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Nomura Research Institute Singapore, and the Civer Civilization Research Center at Keio University. To inaugurate this project, ERIA hosted the 'ERAB and Cyber and Physical System Security Workshop 2024' as a hybrid event on 15 October.

Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Head of ERIA's Asia Zero Emission Center, opened the workshop with remarks emphasising the significance of this project and the workshop as a regional initiative aimed at promoting the efficient use of distributed energy resources amongst ASEAN countries while addressing the cybersecurity threats that may arise in this context.

In the keynote address, Dr Masaki Umejima, Convener of the Smart Energy Development Plan, IEC System Committee, and Special Appointed Professor at the Civer Civilization Research Center, Keio University, introduced the trust design for distributed energy resource aggregation business (ERAB) within the Cyber and Physical Security Framework (CPSF). Additionally, Akinori Kahata, Deputy Director of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan (METI), presented Japan's initiatives for ERAB and CPSF, while Kasuya Tokuda from the Nomura Research Institute Singapore discussed the future potential of cybersecurity for distributed energy resource aggregation in ASEAN.

The panel discussion featured presentations by experts from Malaysia and Thailand, leading to a lively discussion on future collaboration under this project.