Since 2025
Securing a Decarbonised Energy Future and Unlocking Economic Opportunity
- Thailand’s accelerated net-zero pathway positioned the country as a forward-looking partner for Germany in driving green transformation in Southeast Asia.
- The establishment of the Thai-German Energy Dialogue institutionalised Thailand as a strategic energy partner for Germany in advancing the global energy transition.
- With over 600 German companies on the ground, Thailand served as a key regional hub for German business and industrial cooperation in Southeast Asia.
- By addressing emerging energy security risks together, Thailand and Germany strengthened their strategic alignment on resilient, future-proof energy systems.
Energy security
Decarbonisation
Foreign Trade Promotion
Kick-off of the Thai-German Energy Dialogue
2025 marked a milestone in Thai-German energy cooperation with the establishment of the Thai-German Energy Dialogue. This dialogue established close exchange between the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and Thailand’s Ministry of Energy (MoEN). In doing so, it institutionalised both governments’ shared commitment to intensifying their strategic partnership and advancing Thai-German business cooperation in decarbonising the energy sector.
Thai-German Private Sector Cooperation
As a strategic hub for Southeast Asia, Thailand hosts more than 600 German companies, drawn by its strong industrial base, market-oriented policy framework, and growing commitment to sustainability. The Thai-German Energy Dialogue strengthened these efforts by fostering private sector collaboration through conferences, technical exchanges, and targeted capacity-building initiatives.
Thailand’s Energy Sector is Changing
Thailand accelerated its climate and energy ambitions by advancing its net-zero target to 2050 – 15 years earlier than previously planned. The country now aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 47% by 2035, compared to 2019 levels. This enhanced ambition firmly sets Thailand on a pathway towards green transformation.
Energy security defines the national discussion
Energy security is increasingly shaped by interconnected risks that go beyond traditional concerns such as supply and price volatility. In response to these challenges, the Energy Dialogue developed a concise strategic discussion to engage stakeholders from the public, energy, technology and security sectors. This work brings together decision-makers in thematic Energy Dialogue events and charts the direction for further in-depth work in 2026. Next steps include in-depth analyses of energy technology supply chains, operational technology security, and resilient energy supply for critical data centre infrastructure – areas that hold significant market potential for German and Thai companies.
More information
1. What has been the most tangible outcome or impact of your partnership activities in 2025?
Energy security activities under the Thai-German Energy Dialogue created a strategic opening for the programme to engage more closely with ministry partners and Thai-German stakeholders. From there, key energy security priorities were identified for more in-depth cooperation in 2026.
These priorities include analysing energy technology value chains through a focused discussion paper, enhancing operational technology (OT) security for industry and critical energy infrastructure through Thai-German business exchanges. The priorities also included addressing energy security for the data centre sector through a discussion paper and targeted stakeholder workshops involving German solution providers.
Step by step, the Energy Dialogue turned energy security from a broad concern into a practical agenda, helping stakeholders anticipate risks, strengthen resilience, and accelerate the transition with confidence.
2. Which focus areas were particularly relevant for your country in 2025 and why?
Energy security:
Energy security was a priority for Thailand’s Ministry of Energy as growing global uncertainty continued to affect Thailand and the region. The energy security landscape became increasingly complex and interconnected.
Energy efficiency:
Thailand aims to reduce energy intensity by 36% by 2037. To achieve these goals, Thai industries must significantly improve energy efficiency. At the same time, the rapid expansion of green markets means that greater energy efficiency will strengthen the competitiveness of Thai industries both regionally and globally.
3. What were the main challenges in implementing activities in 2025, and how were they addressed?
Operationalising political dialogue into concrete, high-impact activities
The Energy Dialogue, formally established in March 2025, faced the challenge of translating a newly signed political framework into concrete operational activities within a short timeframe. Following the inaugural steering meetings, the programme had to move quickly from high-level political exchange to the development and implementation of substantive energy transition activities. Despite this “cold start,” strong support and active engagement from both governmental and private sector stakeholders enabled the dialogue to quickly develop priority topics and deliver impactful events with tangible outcomes.
Encouraging meaningful exchange on energy security
Energy security was a politically and institutionally sensitive topic. To enable open and constructive exchange among stakeholders from different organisations, the Energy Dialogue developed a joint knowledge base through an energy security discussion paper. The paper invited participants to reflect on the broader energy security landscape as well as on their organisation’s specific roles, responsibilities, and needs. Subsequent dialogue events were therefore organised as closed-door meetings to create a trusted and confidential environment. This format generated more active participation and encouraged stakeholders to share candid perspectives and institutional concerns.
Positioning the Energy Dialogue as a trusted partner and collaboration platform
The Thai-German Energy Dialogue initially operated with a relatively small private sector network. The formal launch of the dialogue in 2025 created an opportunity to systematically expand engagement across the broader energy sector. In cooperation with the German Chamber of Commerce, the Energy Dialogue proactively identified and approached German companies active in energy and sustainable solutions in Thailand. Through consistent outreach and the delivery of relevant formats, the programme gradually built trust within the business community. As a result, German companies increasingly recognised the added value of the dialogue as a platform for structured exchange and the facilitation of concrete business opportunities.
4. How did your activities contribute to the selected overarching goals (energy security, decarbonisation, foreign trade promotion)?
Signed in March 2025 during the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD), the Energy Dialogue was newly established yet deliberately ambitious. From the outset, it positioned itself to address high-impact topics and to act as a catalyst for Thailand’s energy transition. In its first year, the Energy Dialogue focused primarily on energy security and energy efficiency.
Through a combination of a strategic discussion paper, targeted dialogue formats, and practical seminars and conferences across Thailand, the Energy Dialogue translated policy exchange into concrete implementation. These activities contributed to strengthening system resilience, accelerating decarbonisation, and promoting foreign trade by creating tangible entry points for international expertise, standards, and technologies in Thailand’s expanding clean energy market.
5. What concrete activities are planned for 2026?
Thai-German Energy Dialogue activities 2026
- 4 Energy Efficiency Network Workshops (throughout 2026)
- 1 Study tour to Germany on battery recycling topic
- 1 German Decarbonisation Technologies Conference
- 2 Energy Security Events
◦ Dissemination event on Energy Technology Value Chains
◦ Business roundtable on Operational Technology for Industries - 1 Event on Data Centre (incl. energy supply, innovative technology and energy efficiency)
