Pre-Forum Event

Minding the Gap: Addressing Grid Disruptions to Enable Variable Renewable Energy Integration

Monday, 8 June 2026 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (GMT+8) Auditorium Hall 3 Organized by British Embassy Manila

Overview

Power systems across Asia and the Pacific are facing increasing pressure from climate-related risks and global supply chain disruptions. At the same time, developing member countries (DMCs) are accelerating the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) into their energy mix, requiring more resilient and flexible grid systems.

This session will examine practical approaches towards strengthening grid resilience while supporting the scale-up of renewable energy. Drawing on international experience and grounded in lessons from the United Kingdom's energy transition, the discussion will highlight market design interventions and power system management tools which foster system-wide flexibility, resilience, and energy security outcomes. Each of which play integral roles in the development of modern, fit-for-purpose and VRE-driven power systems that manage grid disruptions and maintain system reliability.

Agenda

4:00 – 4:05 p.m.

Opening Remarks

Rhiannon Harries, Deputy Trade Commissioner, South East Asia, UK Government Department for Business and Trade
4:05 – 4:15 p.m.

Scene Setter: The View from SE Asia – Scaling VRE, Growing Integration Needs

Fortunato Leynes, Former President, TransCo
4:15 – 4:25 p.m.

Presentation: Global HVDC Supply Chain Report — Launch

Georgie Skipper, Founding Partner and CEO, Green Grids Initiative / Lucetia Group

Max Gwynn, Vice President for Strategy & Operations, Green Grids Initiative / Lucetia Group
4:25 – 5:00 p.m.

Reaction Panel: Supply Chain and Standards

Panelists
Moderator: Sarah Love, Regional Director for Climate, Energy & Nature for Southeast Asia, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

Rowena Guevara, Undersecretary, Philippine Department of Energy

Ava Taniajura, Managing Director, British Standards Institution

Chris Tyrell, Academic & Report Contributor

Ben Kerwin, Policy Analyst, Green Grids Initiative

Nick Ash, Energy Advisory Leader, Arup

Philip Napier-Moore, Energy Sector Leader for Asia, Mott MacDonald
5:00 – 5:10 p.m.

Presentation: Smart from the Start — How Flexibility Services Drive Grid Resilience

Sam Lynch, Head of APAC Regulatory Affairs, Kraken
5:10 – 5:20 p.m.

Presentation: Mapping, Modelling and Modernising — How to Identify System-Wide Bottlenecks Within Power Systems

Lathika Chandra Mouli, Project Lead for Advisory, Aurora Energy
5:20 – 5:25 p.m.

Q&A

Moderator: Johnny Bland, Energy Specialist – Partnerships and Market Development, ADB
5:25 – 5:30 p.m.

Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks

Cindy Cisneros-Tiangco, Director, Energy, Emerging Areas, Sectors Group 1, ADB