LTMS-PIP for ASEAN Energy Integration: How the Members’ National Interests Drive the Cooperation

Abstract

This article analyzes the involvement of Lao PDR, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore in the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP) using a descriptive, qualitative approach based on a literature review, emphasizing each country's national interests. LTMS-PIP marks the first multilateral electricity trading project in ASEAN and represents the initial step toward realizing the ASEAN Power Grid. This article explains how each country's national interests shape cooperation that drive this project’s success, and how these interactions reflect complex interdependence in international relations. The results indicate that the LTMS-PIP succeeds when the national interests of the four countries align. Lao PDR uses the LTMS-PIP to expand its electricity export market, aiming to overcome geographical limitations and strengthen state revenue. Thailand secures strategic advantages by controlling the Mekong region's transmission network through EGAT's role. Malaysia leverages this project to reinforce its position as a transit hub while advancing the energy transition agenda in NETR. Meanwhile, Singapore deploys LTMS-PIP as an energy diversification instrument to reduce its reliance on natural gas and achieve its decarbonization goals.