Meeting Summary

Summary of the 2nd Meeting of the APEC Energy Data Expert Group Meeting
March 17, 1992 in Tokyo


Introduction

It was agreed at the Third Meeting of the APEC Energy Project Group in Cairns that each member would submit data series for 1990 and the first quarter of 1991 to the APEC Energy Database Coordinating Agency (The Energy Data and Modelling Center, the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan ) for the purpose of running a trial of the APEC Energy Database by the end of October, 1991. The Coordinating Agency was expected to arrange data from members and to run a trial toward the establishment of the APEC Energy Database.

The Coordinating Agency has reported the outcome of the trial and the issues to be considered at the Second Meeting of the APEC Energy Expert Group to be held on March 17, 1992 in Tokyo. Participants have considered the problems, improvements and future steps of the APEC Energy Database.

Business Arrangements

The Meeting was chaired by Mr. Kenichi Matsui, Director of the Energy Data and Modelling Center, the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan. Participants came from Australia, Canada, Korea, Chinese Taipei, the United States and the ASEAN Secretariat representing six ASEAN countries.

People's Republic of China, Hong Kong and New Zealand did not dispatch a delegate.

Please refer to Attachment 1 "Participants List".

Welcome Address

Mr. Yuji Hosoya, Deputy Director of Energy Policy Planning Division, Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, MITI delivered a welcome address.

Submission of Data

Although some members submitted their data after the designated date, all the members submitted their data.
(The data of Indonesia and Malaysia were submitted at the Meeting.)

The members which submitted data series for 1990 and the first quarter of 1991 in time.

Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States

The members which submitted data series for 1990 in time, but not that for the first quarter of 1991 yet.

Brunei, the Philippines, and Thailand

The member which submitted data series for 1990 and the first quarter of 1991 after the designated date.

Canada

The members which submitted data series for 1990 after the designated date, but not that for the first quarter of 1991 yet.

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore

Problems on Collecting data
  1. The time of data submission considerably differs among members.
  2. Some members compile their data on calendar year basis and others do on a fiscal year basis. This will become an obstacle to formulate a regional energy statistics.
  3. Some members collect the data in the supply and transformation sectors in an earlier stage, while collecting the data of final consumption will take a longer time.

Report on the outcome of the trial on the Energy Database

The Coordinating Agency has presented the following comments:

  1. Figures, units, thermal conversion factors and items of the Reporting Format
    1. There were different interpretations among members on some items of the Reporting Format (e.g. own use).
    2. Different thermal conversion factors were used for primary electric power generation among members.
    3. Some parts of the Reporting Format were inappropriate due to different circumstances of members.
    4. Some simple mistakes were found.
  2. Accuracy of Data
    The Coordinating Agency has processed data submitted by members into an energy balance table and found out that these data have been substantially accurate.

Major Issues Discussed at the Meeting
  1. The First Trial of the APEC Energy Database
    1. The Reporting Format
      It was agreed that some parts of the Reporting Format should be simplified in compliance with comments from members. The Coordinating Agency will circulate a revised Format to members for the second trial after reconfirming the following points.
      Will the revised Format be sufficient to produce an energy balance table?
      Isn't there any important omission?
    2. Data for the First Quarter
      Data for the first quarter are expected to only consist of primary energy supply (indigenous production, imports, exports, international marine bunkers and stocks).
    3. Units and Thermal Conversion Factors
      Members will submit data with their own units and the Coordinating Agency will convert these data into consistent ones when making the APEC Energy Database.
      Members will submit data with their own thermal conversion factors except for primary electric power generation, for which the former IEA factor will be used.
    4. Energy Tables produced by the coordinating Agency
      The coordinating Agency has proposed the five tables (Primary Energy Supply, Final Energy consumption, Energy Sources, Electricity and Energy Balances) based on the submitted data.
      Members have agreed to add two more tables, that is, Stock Change and Lignite. However, the Coordinating Agency considers that Lignite would be regarded as one of energy sources. Therefore, tables of Energy Sources will consist of Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and Lignite.
  2. The Second Trial of the APEC Energy Database and its Timetables
    1. Members will submit data series for the year 1991 and for the first quarter of 1992 to the coordinating Agency by the end of November 1992, The annual data will include all applicable information in the new reporting Format, However, the quarterly data will consist only of the primary energy supply (as mentioned before).
    2. Members will also submit annual data for the years 1980 through 1990 by the end of November 1992. This information will be submitted to the extent that the data are available.
    3. The coordinating Agency will use personal computers and a spreadsheet softwares (Lotus 1-2-3) to develop the Database systems using the format agreed upon by the second meeting of the Energy Data Expert Group. In addition, the coordinating Agency will design appropriate data input formats and will provide the members with copies of the data input systems on floppy disks. Members will enter data on the floppy disks and submit them to the coordinating Agency for processing.

Future Expansion Initiative of the Database

A discussion paper titled "APEC Energy Database -- possible priorities for data collection" (Attachment 5) was presented by the Australian delegates. The point was that priorities for use of the Database should be considered and that they should relates to the main regional energy policy issues that APEC Energy Project members are going to consider in the context of regional cooperation. In some cases additional data would need to be collected. The paper provided some discussion of possible future directions for the Database and issues that could be addressed.

Some participants, especially the representatives from the United States and the ASEAN Secretariat, expressed concern that discussion of specific applications of the Database and the need for supplementary data collections were somewhat premature given that the procedures for data collection and country participation have not yet been resolved, although it was agreed that further expansion of the Database, including energy supply and demand projection with a view to developing more compatible projections that could eventually be aggregated to the regional level, could be reconsidered when the data submissions demonstrate full and timely participation by the members.

This proposal will be introduced at the coming Energy project Group Meeting. The Expert Group Meeting will consider the issues again in compliance with guidance made by the Energy Project Group Meeting.


Future Action Plan
  1. A Reporting Format revised by the Coordinating Agency will be circulated to members. Members are expected to send their comments. Thus a new Reporting Format will be circulated to members as a format for the second trial.
  2. The summary report on the Second Meeting of the APEC Energy Data Expert Group will be presented at the next Energy Project Group Meeting in May. Guidance will be sought on future priorities for use and development of the Database and the possibility of extending the work to consider projection methods.
  3. The second trial run of the Database will be implemented based on the data series which are expected to be submitted by members by the end of November, 1992. Member economies expressed their concerns on the difficulties they would face and requested that these should not be underestimated. Finally it was agreed that a draft proposal for the future expansion and application of the APEC Energy Database would be made up by Australia and Japan by the end of this year, with all member economies be given the opportunity to contribute to the draft proposal at an early stage. This could be done by inviting member economies to provide their comments now on how they see the project developing and by early distribution of the draft proposal to be prepared by Japan and Australia.