ENERtec Asia 2024

The ENERtec Asia 2024 Trade Show, once known as ASEAN M&E, was a momentous event for all who were involved. Held from 26 to 28 June 2024 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Malaysia, this splendidly-organized Trade Show was well-attended with a whopping audience of 9,935 visitors! Well done! The Attendees comprised Professionals from 60 countries occupying diverse roles ranging from Technical Leaders such as CEOs, Directors, Executives, and Engineers, to Government Policy-makers and Sales Specialists, to name a few.

The ENERtec Asia 2024 Trade Show focused on Energy Transition and Technology. Innovation and Sustainability in Electrical Engineering practices are certainly a pressing need to address and tackle with the rapid acceleration of climate change worldwide amid calls for greater accountability and stricter adherence to the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Framework and its principles. Introduced and organised by Informa Markets, co-hosted by The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM), and in partnership with the Energy Industries Council (EIC), this Trade Show consisted of three main segments: TENAGA (Renewable Energy & Cleantech), REVAC (Energy Efficiency & De-carbonisation) and BATTERY & EV TECH (Energy Storage & Electric Vehicle Technology and Solutions).

The TENAGA segment focused on Renewable and Clean Energy, Critical and Back-up Power, Intelligent Energy Solutions, Smart Energy, Industrial Automation, and Energy Management Systems. The REVAC segment focused on Energy-Efficiency, Carbon Emission Reduction, Air Quality, Ventilation Systems, Refrigeration, and Building Automation. It should also be noted that REVAC is South-east Asia’s largest leading HVACR Business and Innovation Platform.

The BATTERY & EV TECH segment covered Battery Management, EV Manufacturing, Critical and Back-up Power (as in the TENAGA segment), Commercial Charging Systems, and Smart Parking Systems. It is a new segment dedicated to Energy Storage and EV Technologies.

Held alongside the Trade Show were 3 other International Conferences, namely, the 2024 ASEAN Federation of Electrical Engineering Contractors (AFEEC) & Federation of Asian-Pacific Electrical Contractors Associations (FAPECA) Conference & Meeting 2024, ASHRAE Malaysia Chapter Conference, and the EIC Energy Conference. The high-value Conferences featured multiple eminent Speakers and Presenters (over 50 in number). Discourses included Keynote Addresses and Opening/Welcoming Speeches from various Government Officials and Representatives as well as from Industry Leaders and Professionals in the ever-dynamic and vibrant Electrical and Energy sectors.

Apart from the Keynote Addresses, Opening Speeches and Technical Presentations, the industry-centric Trade Show also hosted 400 Exhibitors manning numerous exhibition booths in 5 International Pavilions. There were many attractive reasons to exhibit with ENERtec Asia 2024 this year, some of which were an enormous and continuous stream of high-quality Trade Buyers and Visitors, a broad range of ENERtec Asia industry technologies and products, and ample business opportunities to showcase each one’s latest products and technology, to the industry experts. Business growth was also amplified with the opportunity to generate new and high-quality business leads, increase brand presence and visibility, and also meet with Leading Distributors, Dealers, and Small & Medium Traders within the Power, Energy, Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) plus Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) sectors.

Drawing from the currently made available visitors’ reviews and from their personal feedbacks gathered and collected much earlier in 2022 regarding their overwhelmingly positive experience with the Exhibitors, ENERtec Asia 2024 is well-poised to take the Energy and Electrical Market by storm. Here are some vital statistics from the ASEAN M&E 2022 (before it was re-branded as ENERtec Asia after 2 decades of flourishing) for Exhibitors to take note of for future improvements and to gauge future engagement and potential:

• 25% of visitors will probably attend the event again
• 24% of visitors were satisfied with the event experience
• 38% of visitors would probably recommend the Trade Show to friends/colleagues
• 62% of visitors achieved their objectives of collecting market info
• 26% of visitors were able to source new products

On the other hand, Exhibitors in ASEAN M&E 2022 praised the event for the following five same characteristics in the form of statistical feedback:

• 40% of Exhibitors were satisfied with visitor quality
• 84% of Exhibitors were likely to attend again
• 83% of Exhibitors were happy with business opportunities
• 24% of Exhibitors were satisfied with event experience
• 38% of Exhibitors were likely to recommend the show

Attendees/Visitors/Participants were able to collect market information and source new products from ASEAN M&E 2022, but they could also consolidate contacts with Suppliers/Business Partners, find New Suppliers, and seek Franchisors/Principals. Peter Lundberg, one of the distinguished visitors representing Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA) from Thailand, has this glowing but honest testimonial to say about the ASEAN M&E 2022 event:

‘Well, I think it is a good platform, getting together under the umbrella of Energy. As an energy brand, sustainability being the top priority, it is vital for all of us in the energy industry to contribute to the ongoing energy transition. I think ASEAN M&E really did a good job in putting all the segments under one roof, and the Exhibition is very well-organised. You can explore a diverse array of companies and offerings, covering everything from Chillers to HVAC equipment, as well as Cables and other Energy-related products.’

Among the top 15 countries from which the attendees came to the 2024 exhibition were the nearby ASEAN member countries such as the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and of course not forgetting the host country Malaysia, on to the most populous countries such as China in East Asia and India in South Asia – even to countries as far as Türkiye, which uniquely straddles the two continents of Europe and Asia. Apart from their afore-mentioned profiles of being Technical Leaders and Government Policy-makers among other diverse roles and key positions, the attendees represented divisions such as Administration, Business Development, Marketing, Project Management, Purchasing/Procurement, and Research/Development. These departments spanned various industries from Consultants and Contractors to Food & Agriculture and Hospital/Healthcare to Power/Utilities and Building Service & Maintenance, which are by no means an exhaustive list.

The event also highlights initiatives for energy transition in Malaysia. These such initiatives are the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) with catalytic projects aiming for an upshift in renewable energy contributions, Malaysia’s Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030 focusing on ESG practices, and encouraging, promoting and raising awareness of clean energy solutions through ENERtec Asia’s A-class innovations and technologies.

As for Malaysia’s energy landscape, the NETR has ambitious but plausibly achievable goals for RE (Renewable Energy), which are to: increase the installed capacity of Renewable Energy to 70% by 2050. The initiative also has lucrative projects of which there are investment opportunities (projected to be) worth a whopping RM1.85 trillion by 2050 and include major solar and hydrogen projects.

NIMP 2030’s long-sighted aim and vision for Malaysia are to transform it into a high-tech industrialised nation by 2030. This vision is reflected in its apt name. EV Ecosystems, Carbon Capture, and Circular Economy Frameworks are just some of NIMP 2030’s key focus areas. Its mission is to strive as hard as possible for Net Zero by placing heavy emphases on Carbon Emission Reduction (otherwise known as De-carbonisation), Energy Efficiency, and New Green Growth sectors.

Nevertheless, the global and ASEAN energy markets present both challenges and opportunities, respectively. The energy markets’ global challenges are energy crises and geo-political conflicts which underscore the crucial need for sustainable and profitable energy solutions. Conversely, the ASEAN region presents opportunities in the energy sector in increasing measure in the form of rising demand for EV Technology, Renewable Energy Sources, and Sustainable Industrial Practices.

The ASEAN member countries also anticipate sizeable growth in HVAC Systems, EV Markets, Renewable Energy, and Bio-energy. This growth will likely be driven by technological advancement, infrastructural development, and growing environmental consciousness and awareness.

As for the Market Outlook, here are six of the eight points (with statistics) of TENAGA’s market outlook:

• Hydrogen demand in ASEAN set to surpass 11 million tonnes by 2050.
• Bio-energy in ASEAN to increase to 7.6 EJ from 2.7EJ in 2018.
• ASEAN Electric Vehicle Market forecasted to reach USD 2,665.3 million by 2027.
• South-east Asia’s renewable energy market to install 117.17 GW by 2027.
• Malaysia’s Electric Vehicle Market expected to reach USD 31.44 million by 2027.
• Space Cooling to grow from 17% share in 2018 to almost half in 2050.

REVAC’s market outlook predicts that the South-east Asia HVAC market will also grow, with a big focus on cooling equipment. The REVAC Expo event also highlights the growth of Smart Technologies in being incorporated into over 25 billion devices by 2020, the need for more HVAC Technicians – the industry being short of over 138,000 Technicians by 2022, and last but not least, a 15% rise in jobs within the HVAC sector by 2026!

Malaysia was host to ENERtec Asia 2024 and it was an ideal country venue for the Conferences and Trade Show due to its strategic location between China and India; excellent connectivity comprising 6 international airports, 16 domestic airports, and efficient transportation infra-structure; world-class state-of-the-art facilities, competitive pricing, vibrant economy, politically stable environment, freedom from the threat of natural disasters (unlike in some other countries), and English language proficiency that smoothens and simplifies business transactions. The next edition is set for 3 to 5 June 2026 in Kuala Lumpur. See you there!