The Honourable Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (R) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II, as the Minister in charge of Energy is currently in Busan, Republic of Korea, attending the 15th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Energy Ministerial Meeting (APEC EMM) taking place at the Nurimaru APEC House from 27 – 28 August 2025. His Honourable Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II is accompanied by Yang Mulia Hajah Farida binti Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib, Permanent Secretary (Energy) at the Prime Minister’s Office and representatives from the Department of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional forum established in 1989 with the aim of promoting sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region through greater economic integration, technical cooperation, and free and open trade and investment. Energy cooperation is a key element of APEC’s multilateral agenda. Together, the economies of APEC make up more than 60% of the world’s energy consumption, nearly half of all trade, and GDP.
As the APEC 2025 Chair, the Republic of Korea convened the 15th APEC EMM under the theme “Accelerating Sustainable, Affordable, Reliable, Secure and Innovative Energy for a Prosperous Future” and aligned with the APEC 2025 overall theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper“. The meeting featured three thematic sessions focused on key energy priorities for the region. The first session, “Electricity Expansion for a Stable Supply,” explored the roles of public and private sectors in mobilizing strategic investment, shaping regional strategies, and advancing policy and technological innovation to deliver affordable, secure, and diversified electricity. The second session, “Strengthening Grid Security and Reliability,” addressed the modernization and expansion of transmission infrastructure, emphasizing smart grid solutions, enhanced grid flexibility, and cross-border collaboration to support energy resilience. The final session, “AI-Driven Energy Innovation,” highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in energy systems, showcasing best practices, addressing adoption challenges, and encouraging regional cooperation to accelerate AI deployment across APEC economies.
At the opening of 15th APEC Energy Ministers’ Meeting, Brunei Darussalam reaffirmed its commitment to a just and inclusive energy transition aligned with this year’s theme. In Brunei Darussalam’s context, energy transition goes beyond adding renewables— it is about the responsible and strategic integration of traditional oil and gas with cleaner energy sources to sustain economic growth, safeguard energy security, and fulfil climate commitments. This balanced approach reflects Brunei’s unique energy landscape and its determination to transition towards a low-carbon future. As part of this effort, the country is targeting a 30% renewable share in total power generation capacity by 2035 and is advancing the development of its largest solar photovoltaic project – a 30MW plant slated for completion by 2026.
Yang Berhormat Pehin delivered his intervention during the 15th APEC EMM
The Minister also had the opportunity to contribute to discussions under the second thematic session, “Strengthening Grid Security and Reliability“. In his remarks, the Minister highlighted that a modern, resilient, and flexible power grid is fundamental to energy security and a successful energy transition. He underscored the need for coordinated policies, infrastructure upgrades, and enabling environments for public-private collaboration to address challenges such as increasing demand, renewable intermittency, and aging grid systems. Brunei Darussalam is currently exploring utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to support solar integration and meet its target of 30% renewable energy in installed power capacity by 2035. The Minister also emphasized the importance of regional cooperation through initiatives like the ASEAN Power Grid, noting Brunei’s commitment via the Brunei-Sarawak interconnection project. He reaffirmed the role of public-private partnerships, including solar deployment and net metering initiatives, in advancing national and regional energy resilience. The intervention concluded with a call for deeper collaboration across APEC economies to build secure, sustainable, and inclusive electricity systems.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister also had the opportunity to have a brief networking session with the other heads of delegation from APEC economies, including Yang Amat Berbahagia Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation and Her Excellency Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade & Industry from Singapore. The 15th APEC EMM also endorsed Joint Ministerial Statement as part of this year’s deliverable. The next APEC Energy Ministerial meeting will convene in the People’s Republic of China in 2026.
