Seeing the ASEAN Power Grid as one connected system

Summary

Scenario Builder now supports ASEAN-wide modelling through the Southeast Asia model, covering 10 countries across the region in a single open access modelling environment.

The model represents the regional system across 25 nodes and supports long-term capacity expansion and dispatch analysis, helping users explore how generation, transmission, and cross-border trade flows interact.

Users can test planning questions on renewable expansion, transmission constraints, trade structures, and least-cost generation pathways through transparent assumptions and scenario analysis.

Scenario Builder, our no-code platform for energy transition planning, now supports ASEAN-wide modelling through the ASEAN Power Grid model. The new capability gives users an open access way to explore regional power-system planning questions in one place.

The model covers 10 countries across ASEAN: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Brunei, and Cambodia. It represents the regional system across 25 nodes and supports both long-term capacity expansion and dispatch analysis.

This means policymakers, planners, investors, and other energy-sector stakeholders can explore how generation, transmission, dispatch, and cross-border trade flows interact across the region.

Why ASEAN-wide modelling matters

The region is preparing for a new phase of cross-border transmission projects and the possibility of cross-border power trade arrangements alongside traditional long-term power purchase agreements.

As regional interconnection develops, users need tools that can model the integrated regional system and individual country conditions at the same time.

Scenario Builder’s ASEAN Power Grid model supports that work by bringing the regional system into a single modelling environment. Users can review assumptions, compare scenarios, and examine how different choices affect the wider system.

What the APG model makes visible

The value of a regional model is that it helps users see system interactions that are harder to understand through separate country-level analysis.

These questions matter because regional power-system planning depends on how generation, transmission, dispatch, demand, and trade flows work together.

The APG model gives users a practical way to explore these relationships in Scenario Builder.

What users can explore

Users can begin with a practical planning question and use Scenario Builder to test how the system responds under different assumptions.

For example, users can explore:

• How renewable expansion in one country affects neighbouring grids.
• Where transmission constraints become most binding.
• How different trade structures and new trade routes affect costs and generation across the system.
• How regional interconnection changes the least-cost generation mix.
• How national plans interact at a regional level.

The model is designed to help users compare options and understand trade-offs through transparent assumptions and scenario analysis.

How to get value quickly

1. The easiest way to start is to begin with one question.
2. Select ‘Southeast Asia’ as the geography on Scenario Builder.
3. Start from the default model.
4. Choose one planning question.
5. Adjust one assumption, such as interconnection, demand, renewable buildout, or a technology constraint.
6. Run a scenario.
7. Compare the result with the starting case.
8. Use the documentation to review the methodology, assumptions, and data sources behind the model.

This workflow helps users move quickly from interest to analysis. It also makes scenario comparison easier to repeat, explain, and discuss with others.

What the model includes

The ASEAN Power Grid model is available in Scenario Builder as a no-code modelling environment.

It includes:

• 10 countries across ASEAN.
• 25 nodes across the regional system.
• Generation, transmission, dispatch, and trade flows.
• Long-term capacity expansion analysis.
• Dispatch analysis.
• Transparent methodology.
• Quality-assessed data.
• Supporting documentation.

As with all models on Scenario Builder, users begin with a 'model-ready' dataset and a calibrated 'least-cost' scenario. This scenario is a starting point - not a forecast or a policy commitment. Users can rapidly adjust assumptions around demand, fuel prices, technology costs, and policy constraints to understand how different choices shape costs, investments and emissions.

More detailed methodology, assumptions, and data sources are available in the APG model documentation.

A practical tool for regional planning conversations

The APG model gives more users a way to work directly with ASEAN-wide power-system analysis.

As more users work with the model, we are especially interested in understanding the questions they want to test, the assumptions they want to explore, and the ways Scenario Builder can support their planning work.

Explore the APG model

• The ASEAN Power Grid model is now available in Scenario Builder.
• Explore the model here.
• Read the full documentation here.

Have thoughts on the APG model?

We deeply value our community of planners using Scenario Builder and welcome submissions for interesting ways you have used this model. To share your work, ideas, or feedback on the model, please contact our Head of Market Development, Ajita Mishra, at ajita.m@transitionzero.org.