The project, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, examines the geopolitics of the energy transformation in Greater Asia. It builds on the completed project "Geopolitics of Hydrogen," which examined the role of hydrogen in reshaping energy geography and relations between existing and emerging energy exporters, and import markets such as Germany and the EU.
Greater Asia is not only home to the majority of emerging economic powers and CO2 emitters globally but also to the majority of fossil fuel exporters and energy-intensive industrialized countries. Energy, industrial, and trade relations, as well as infrastructure projects, are increasingly concentrated here. Value chains for renewable energies and technologies are expanding within Asia, for example, between the Gulf states, China, Japan, and Korea, as well as between Central Asia, Russia, and China, or within the framework of regional alliances such as ASEAN. The resulting accelerated development of diplomatic, economic, and investment relations within the region is also accelerating the reorganization of energy value and supply chains, as well as infrastructures.
The EU and Germany have limited leverage in this area. Nevertheless, there are opportunities for cooperation and influence with individual regional players who are striving to reduce their dependencies and increasingly looking for alternatives beyond major powers like China and the USA. At the same time, there is an urgent need to better understand the (new) balance of power in Greater Asia and its interdependence with global energy and climate dynamics against the backdrop of the overall geopolitical situation.
What dynamics and interactions are emerging in this region? What tensions arise between climate, energy, and geopolitics, within and between the sub-regions of the metropolitan area? What role and leverage do Germany and Europe have in shaping the energy transformation in this area? The aim of the project is therefore to use selected case studies - including countries/regions, technologies (CCS, electrolysis, solar and wind energy), and energy sources (particularly gas, renewables, and hydrogen) - to develop an in-depth understanding of the priorities, goals, and preferences of regional actors in Greater Asia and to identify possible options for action for Germany and the EU against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions and changing power dynamics.
Project duration: January to December 2024
Contact person: Dr. Jacopo Pepe
Project funding: Federal Foreign Office
