Transitioning the energy sector to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the objectives of the Paris Agreement presents a complex and difficult task for policymakers. It needs to ensure sustained economic growth as well as respond to increasing energy demand, reduce emissions, and consider and capitalize on the interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) and other SDGs. To address this challenge, ESCAP has developed the National Expert SDG Tool for Energy Planning (NEXSTEP).1 This tool enables policymakers to make informed policy decisions to support the achievement of the SDG 7 targets as well as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). The initiative has been undertaken in response to the Ministerial Declaration of the Second Asian and Pacific Energy Forum (April 2018, Bangkok) and Commission Resolution 74/9, which endorsed its outcome. NEXSTEP also garnered the support of the Committee on Energy in its Second Session, with recommendations to expand the number of countries being supported by this tool.
The City of Borongan, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), has developed this Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) Road Map to identify technological options and policy measures that will help the city to navigate the transition of its energy sector in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Road Map presents three core scenarios (business as usual, current policy and SDG scenarios) and one ambitious scenario (towards net zero carbon by 2050 scenario) that have been developed using local data, which consider existing energy policies and strategies and reflect on other development plans. The net zero carbon scenario by 2050 offers policymakers a strategic viewpoint on how Borongan could plan for a carbon-free energy pathway in alignment with the global race to achieve zero carbon emissions. These scenarios are expected to enable the city authority to make an informed decision to develop and implement a set of policies to navigate through the sustainable energy transition pathway.
The City of Borongan, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), has developed this Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) Road Map to identify technological options and policy measures that will help the city to navigate the transition of its energy sector in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Road Map presents three core scenarios (business as usual, current policy and SDG scenarios) and one ambitious scenario (towards net zero carbon by 2050 scenario) that have been developed using local data, which consider existing energy policies and strategies and reflect on other development plans. The net zero carbon scenario by 2050 offers policymakers a strategic viewpoint on how Borongan could plan for a carbon-free energy pathway in alignment with the global race to achieve zero carbon emissions. These scenarios are expected to enable the city authority to make an informed decision to develop and implement a set of policies to navigate through the sustainable energy transition pathway.
Group
Image
Section 1
Title
Highlights of the Road Map
Content
In 2020, Borongan’s population totalled 71,961 people, who comprised 17,493 households. In 2020, access to electricity was 94.1 per cent, leaving around 1,025 households yet to be connected to any form of electricity supply. About 18 per cent of the population, which amounts to 3,166 households, still relied on unclean and polluting kerosene and biomass stoves as their primary cooking technology. Such practice exposes those people, mostly women, to negative health impacts. Well-planned and concerted efforts will be needed to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030.
Energy intensity, the indicator used to measure energy efficiency, was calculated to be 4.56 MJ/USD2017 in 2020. For Borongan City to contribute to the global target of energy efficiency improvement of 3.2 per cent reduction per year between 2020 and 2030, this needs to be reduced to 3.3 MJ/US$2017 by 2030, which will require energy efficiency measures to be implemented across the entire demand sectors. The total primary energy supply in Borongan is similar to the Total Final Energy Consumption (TFEC), 15.2 ktoe, as there is no local electricity generation. Borongan is connected to the Visayas grid, importing all of its electricity demand from the central grid. Renewable energy delivered approximately 26.8 per cent of TFEC in 2020, including traditional biomass use for residential cooking. When traditional use of biomass is excluded, the renewable energy (RE) share in TFEC is 9.2 per cent.
Energy intensity, the indicator used to measure energy efficiency, was calculated to be 4.56 MJ/USD2017 in 2020. For Borongan City to contribute to the global target of energy efficiency improvement of 3.2 per cent reduction per year between 2020 and 2030, this needs to be reduced to 3.3 MJ/US$2017 by 2030, which will require energy efficiency measures to be implemented across the entire demand sectors. The total primary energy supply in Borongan is similar to the Total Final Energy Consumption (TFEC), 15.2 ktoe, as there is no local electricity generation. Borongan is connected to the Visayas grid, importing all of its electricity demand from the central grid. Renewable energy delivered approximately 26.8 per cent of TFEC in 2020, including traditional biomass use for residential cooking. When traditional use of biomass is excluded, the renewable energy (RE) share in TFEC is 9.2 per cent.
Section 2
Title
Aligning the City of Borongan’s energy transition pathway with the SDG 7 and NDC targets by 2030
Content
1. Universal access to modern energy
As of 2020, 5.9 per cent of Borongan’s population lacked access to electricity, while 18.1 per cent lacked access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. More attention is required to setting up initiatives and channel funding to close the access gap. The Road Map proposes that decentralized renewable electricity systems may be the best way forward in electrifying the remaining households.
More attention is required to providing universal clean cooking access to the population of Borongan. Nearly one-fifth of the population relies on polluting cooking fuel and technologies for household cooking, specifically traditional biomass stoves (16.3 per cent of households) and kerosene stoves (1.8 per cent of households). Phasing-out of polluting cooking technologies will improve health and well-being of householders through reducing indoor air pollution as well as foster gender empowered socio-economic development. Electric cooking stoves stand out as an appropriate long-term solution, due to their cost effectiveness, zero air pollution and minimal maintenance. In addition, coupling this technology with a decarbonized electricity supply results in a zero-carbon solution. However, considering the possible lack of sufficient power supply capacity for some households (i.e., households connected to mini-grid or
solar home systems) to meet the power demand of electric stoves, LPG stoves may be an appropriate transitional technology for those households.
2. Renewable energy
The share of RE in the total final energy consumption (TFEC) in Borongan was 9.2 per cent in 2020, excluding the traditional biomass usage. Under the Current Policy Scenario (CPS), the share of RE will increase to 15.2 per cent by 2030. This increase is driven by the high growth of the renewable energy share in grid electricity, which is projected to increase from 48.4 per cent2 in 2020 to 66.9 per cent in 2030, and a slight increase in biofuel usage in the transport sector. In the Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) scenario, the RE share in TFEC increases to 17.8 per cent. This additional increase of 2.6 percentage points from the CPS is a result both of increased use of RE due to a higher share of electricity in energy consumption and a further reduction of energy demand due to energy efficiency measures.
The RE share in TFEC for the Towards Net Zero (TNZ) by the 2050 scenario is further increased to 37.9 per cent, as the scenario envisions a decarbonized electricity supply and aims to position the energy system towards achieving net-zero carbon. In the TNZ scenario, more electricity-based technologies are adopted in the transport and residential sectors, reducing overall energy demand, and increasing renewable energy usage with a 100 per cent electricity supply. As described later in this Road Map, there are several pathways to achieving a decarbonized electricity supply, with the most promising and cost effective one being through renewable energy auctions.
3. Energy efficiency
Borongan’s energy intensity3 is estimated to have been 4.56 MJ/US$2017 in 2020. It is expected to be reduced to 3.86 MJ/US$2017 by 2030 in the CPS, as GDP growth outpaces the growth in energy demand. This corresponds to an annual energy efficiency improvement rate of 1.9 per cent.
The SET scenario proposes several energy-efficiency interventions across the demand sectors, which further decrease the energy intensity to 3.23 MJ/US$2017 by 2030. This corresponds to a 3.4 per cent reduction per annum, exceeding the suggested global energy efficiency annual improvement rate of 3.2 per cent (UNSD, 2022). The transport sector accounted for around 51.6 per cent of the total energy Road Map proposes an increase of the electric vehicle share in the transport fleet to 5 per cent by 2030.
The projected result is a 1.3 kilotons of oil equivalent (ktoe) reduction in energy demand, compared with the CPS due the high efficiency of electric vehicles. Other measures include phasing out inefficient lighting appliances in the residential sector. The phasing out of inefficient, polluting cooking technologies allows an estimated energy reduction of 2.4 ktoe, clearly demonstrating the positive interaction between clean cooking access and energy efficiency.
The energy demand reduction can be significant should Borongan follow a net zero carbon pathway, as suggested in the TNZ scenario. The energy intensity in this scenario is projected to decline to 2.67 MJ/ US$2017, corresponding to a 5.2 per cent energy efficiency improvement per annum.
4. Emissions
The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020 are estimated to have been 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (ktCO2-e), when considering the direct fuel combustion and emissions attributable to the purchased (grid) electricity. Figure ES 1 shows the GHG emission trajectories for the different scenarios. In the BAU scenario, the emissions are projected to increase to 56.8 ktCO2-e by 2030.
In CPS, emissions in 2030 will drop to 51.9 ktCO2-e and it will further decrease to 48.2 ktCO2-e in the SET scenario. A sharp decrease can be observed in the TNZ scenario, dropping to 30.0 ktCO2-e driven by the increased adoption of electricity-based technologies in the transport and residential sectors. This entails having 100 per cent electric vehicle sales4 starting from 2030 onwards to reach a 100 per cent penetration rate by 2050 as well as phasing out of LPG stoves for residential cooking.
As of 2020, 5.9 per cent of Borongan’s population lacked access to electricity, while 18.1 per cent lacked access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. More attention is required to setting up initiatives and channel funding to close the access gap. The Road Map proposes that decentralized renewable electricity systems may be the best way forward in electrifying the remaining households.
More attention is required to providing universal clean cooking access to the population of Borongan. Nearly one-fifth of the population relies on polluting cooking fuel and technologies for household cooking, specifically traditional biomass stoves (16.3 per cent of households) and kerosene stoves (1.8 per cent of households). Phasing-out of polluting cooking technologies will improve health and well-being of householders through reducing indoor air pollution as well as foster gender empowered socio-economic development. Electric cooking stoves stand out as an appropriate long-term solution, due to their cost effectiveness, zero air pollution and minimal maintenance. In addition, coupling this technology with a decarbonized electricity supply results in a zero-carbon solution. However, considering the possible lack of sufficient power supply capacity for some households (i.e., households connected to mini-grid or
solar home systems) to meet the power demand of electric stoves, LPG stoves may be an appropriate transitional technology for those households.
2. Renewable energy
The share of RE in the total final energy consumption (TFEC) in Borongan was 9.2 per cent in 2020, excluding the traditional biomass usage. Under the Current Policy Scenario (CPS), the share of RE will increase to 15.2 per cent by 2030. This increase is driven by the high growth of the renewable energy share in grid electricity, which is projected to increase from 48.4 per cent2 in 2020 to 66.9 per cent in 2030, and a slight increase in biofuel usage in the transport sector. In the Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) scenario, the RE share in TFEC increases to 17.8 per cent. This additional increase of 2.6 percentage points from the CPS is a result both of increased use of RE due to a higher share of electricity in energy consumption and a further reduction of energy demand due to energy efficiency measures.
The RE share in TFEC for the Towards Net Zero (TNZ) by the 2050 scenario is further increased to 37.9 per cent, as the scenario envisions a decarbonized electricity supply and aims to position the energy system towards achieving net-zero carbon. In the TNZ scenario, more electricity-based technologies are adopted in the transport and residential sectors, reducing overall energy demand, and increasing renewable energy usage with a 100 per cent electricity supply. As described later in this Road Map, there are several pathways to achieving a decarbonized electricity supply, with the most promising and cost effective one being through renewable energy auctions.
3. Energy efficiency
Borongan’s energy intensity3 is estimated to have been 4.56 MJ/US$2017 in 2020. It is expected to be reduced to 3.86 MJ/US$2017 by 2030 in the CPS, as GDP growth outpaces the growth in energy demand. This corresponds to an annual energy efficiency improvement rate of 1.9 per cent.
The SET scenario proposes several energy-efficiency interventions across the demand sectors, which further decrease the energy intensity to 3.23 MJ/US$2017 by 2030. This corresponds to a 3.4 per cent reduction per annum, exceeding the suggested global energy efficiency annual improvement rate of 3.2 per cent (UNSD, 2022). The transport sector accounted for around 51.6 per cent of the total energy Road Map proposes an increase of the electric vehicle share in the transport fleet to 5 per cent by 2030.
The projected result is a 1.3 kilotons of oil equivalent (ktoe) reduction in energy demand, compared with the CPS due the high efficiency of electric vehicles. Other measures include phasing out inefficient lighting appliances in the residential sector. The phasing out of inefficient, polluting cooking technologies allows an estimated energy reduction of 2.4 ktoe, clearly demonstrating the positive interaction between clean cooking access and energy efficiency.
The energy demand reduction can be significant should Borongan follow a net zero carbon pathway, as suggested in the TNZ scenario. The energy intensity in this scenario is projected to decline to 2.67 MJ/ US$2017, corresponding to a 5.2 per cent energy efficiency improvement per annum.
4. Emissions
The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020 are estimated to have been 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (ktCO2-e), when considering the direct fuel combustion and emissions attributable to the purchased (grid) electricity. Figure ES 1 shows the GHG emission trajectories for the different scenarios. In the BAU scenario, the emissions are projected to increase to 56.8 ktCO2-e by 2030.
In CPS, emissions in 2030 will drop to 51.9 ktCO2-e and it will further decrease to 48.2 ktCO2-e in the SET scenario. A sharp decrease can be observed in the TNZ scenario, dropping to 30.0 ktCO2-e driven by the increased adoption of electricity-based technologies in the transport and residential sectors. This entails having 100 per cent electric vehicle sales4 starting from 2030 onwards to reach a 100 per cent penetration rate by 2050 as well as phasing out of LPG stoves for residential cooking.
Section 3
Title
Important policy directions
Content
The Road Map sets out the following five key policy recommendations to help Borongan City achieve the SDG7 targets as well as reduce reliance on imported energy sources:
(1) Access to electricity and clean cooking technologies should be a high priority. Decentralised RE electrification systems, e.g., solar mini-grid, should be considered for quick implementation. The Road Map proposes electric cooking stoves as a long-term clean technology substitute. LPG stoves are a strong contender; however, electric cooking stoves are more cost-effective and cleaner in terms of household indoor air pollution. In addition, the use of electric cooking stoves paves the way towards net zero emissions when the electricity supply is decarbonized. LPG stoves may, however, be promoted to households that lack sufficient power supply capacity, i.e., households utilizing decentralised renewable energy systems. The cost of deployment of clean cooking stoves would be US$ 500,000 (US$ 130,000 for LPG cookstoves and US$ 370,000 for electric cookstoves).
(2) Increasing the efficiency of energy use in the transport sector should be pursued and transport electrification strategies that provide multi-fold benefits in the long term. The transport sector is the highest energy-consuming sector in Borongan. Therefore, the encouragement of public transportation use can be considered. Total energy saving potential in the transport sector will be 5 ktoe with 14.3 ktCO2-e of emission reduction between 2023 and 2030. Vigorous adoption of electric vehicles reduces the demand for oil products, hence reducing Borongan’s reliance on petroleum fuels. At the same time, it can contribute to climate mitigation and improve local air quality. An adoption rate of 5 per cent for passenger cars, motorcycles and freight trucks by 2030 has an additional potential, compared to CPS, to save energy cumulatively by 0.3 ktoe and reduce emissions by 0.8 ktCO2-e under the SET scenario between 2023 and 2030.
(3) Raising the renewable energy share in electricity supply through urban renewable energy electricity generation, renewable Power Purchase Agreements and renewable energy auctions. Among the options for increasing the RE generation share, RE auctions provide the best financial case and financial savings due to low solar PV generation costs. In addition, promoting individual-level small-scale installations, such as solar rooftops in households and businesses, would be a further feasible
option. Fulfilling 50 per cent of electricity demand from solar rooftop will save around US$ 3.6 million in 2025 and around US$ 5.6 million in 2030 under TNZ scenario. The required rooftop area will be around 22,000 m2 by 2030. Other opportunity to be explored is to welcome investors to invest in wind power or waste-to-energy installation in the city in which the city will not have any financial involvement.
(4) Moving towards net-zero carbon. A net-zero society requires a concerted effort both by the city authorities and citizens. Total decarbonization of the power supply is essential, while increased electrification in the demand sectors is required, including phasing out of internal combustion engine vehicles and LPG stoves. In this net zero scenario, the market sales of electric vehicles should be 100 per cent starting from 2030 onwards to reach a 100 per cent penetration rate by 2050.
(1) Access to electricity and clean cooking technologies should be a high priority. Decentralised RE electrification systems, e.g., solar mini-grid, should be considered for quick implementation. The Road Map proposes electric cooking stoves as a long-term clean technology substitute. LPG stoves are a strong contender; however, electric cooking stoves are more cost-effective and cleaner in terms of household indoor air pollution. In addition, the use of electric cooking stoves paves the way towards net zero emissions when the electricity supply is decarbonized. LPG stoves may, however, be promoted to households that lack sufficient power supply capacity, i.e., households utilizing decentralised renewable energy systems. The cost of deployment of clean cooking stoves would be US$ 500,000 (US$ 130,000 for LPG cookstoves and US$ 370,000 for electric cookstoves).
(2) Increasing the efficiency of energy use in the transport sector should be pursued and transport electrification strategies that provide multi-fold benefits in the long term. The transport sector is the highest energy-consuming sector in Borongan. Therefore, the encouragement of public transportation use can be considered. Total energy saving potential in the transport sector will be 5 ktoe with 14.3 ktCO2-e of emission reduction between 2023 and 2030. Vigorous adoption of electric vehicles reduces the demand for oil products, hence reducing Borongan’s reliance on petroleum fuels. At the same time, it can contribute to climate mitigation and improve local air quality. An adoption rate of 5 per cent for passenger cars, motorcycles and freight trucks by 2030 has an additional potential, compared to CPS, to save energy cumulatively by 0.3 ktoe and reduce emissions by 0.8 ktCO2-e under the SET scenario between 2023 and 2030.
(3) Raising the renewable energy share in electricity supply through urban renewable energy electricity generation, renewable Power Purchase Agreements and renewable energy auctions. Among the options for increasing the RE generation share, RE auctions provide the best financial case and financial savings due to low solar PV generation costs. In addition, promoting individual-level small-scale installations, such as solar rooftops in households and businesses, would be a further feasible
option. Fulfilling 50 per cent of electricity demand from solar rooftop will save around US$ 3.6 million in 2025 and around US$ 5.6 million in 2030 under TNZ scenario. The required rooftop area will be around 22,000 m2 by 2030. Other opportunity to be explored is to welcome investors to invest in wind power or waste-to-energy installation in the city in which the city will not have any financial involvement.
(4) Moving towards net-zero carbon. A net-zero society requires a concerted effort both by the city authorities and citizens. Total decarbonization of the power supply is essential, while increased electrification in the demand sectors is required, including phasing out of internal combustion engine vehicles and LPG stoves. In this net zero scenario, the market sales of electric vehicles should be 100 per cent starting from 2030 onwards to reach a 100 per cent penetration rate by 2050.