Financing and Partnerships for a Resilient Energy System

by Wei Lek Tan Oct 30, 2025, 16:05 PM

A panel discussion at SIEW Thinktank Roundtable A unpacked how public–private partnerships, sound policy frameworks, and innovative finance structures can accelerate Asia’s investment in low-carbon technologies and resilient energy systems. Moderator Georgie Skipper, CEO of Lucetia Group, opened the discussion by asking a pressing question: how can the region mobilise the billions needed to bring promising technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen, and biomethane to scale?

The consensus from industry, finance, and government leaders was clear: collaboration, clear policies, and de-risked capital structures will define Asia’s pathway toward energy resilience. Highlights from the discussion include:

  • Rules of the game must be established to mobilise large investments, said Dorian Delteil, Executive Director of Project Finance at DBS Bank. Large-scale projects in CCS and hydrogen need predictable regulatory environments and collaborative financing between governments, multilaterals, and private players to get off the ground.
  • Jennifer Tay, Partner and Asia Pacific Infrastructure Leader at PwC Singapore, highlighted the challenge of technology coordination. Governments, she said, must articulate how each technology—solar, storage, hydrogen, or CCS—fits into the broader system. Without this clarity, investors cannot allocate capital effectively. She cautioned against repeating the early-solar era mistake of focusing on generation without building adequate grid and storage infrastructure, calling for a “whole-of-system” policy approach.
  • YBhg. Dato’ Hamzah bin Hussin, CEO of SEDA Malaysia, underlined that policy design must ensure investable returns. He cited Malaysia’s experience with large-scale solar and reforms that had to be recalibrated to deliver viable internal rates of return after aggressive bidding eroded bankability.
  • Michael Lin, Principal Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), shared his views that governments and developers must assume early-stage or demonstration risk, while banks step in only once the economics are proven. He pointed to the convergence of sustainability, security, and affordability goals, observing that falling storage costs are gradually improving the economics of renewables.
  • Economic signals, such as carbon pricing or mandates, are essential to drive adoption. Lim Han Kwang, Deputy CEO of YTL PowerSeraya, shared the example of how industry players are responding through investments such as a new 600 MW hydrogen-capable combined-cycle plant and CCS feasibility studies under an EMA grant.

Stay tuned as the conversation evolves throughout the day. Follow @SIEW_sg on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter) for the latest insights.