With the rising costs of fossil fuel driven energy production, hydropower development is becoming an ever more feasible option for the generation of electricity, especially in less developed and emerging countries. Due to the abundant water resources in the region, most of the ASEAN countries have a high potential for the use of hydropower which, to a large extend, is not yet realized.

The ASEAN Hydropower Competence Centre (HYCOM) is an ASEAN-wide competence centre promoting hydropower development and disseminating know-how in the sector. Thereby HYCOM aims to contribute to an enhanced use of this renewable and environmentally sound energy source, and thus to economic development in the ASEAN region.

HYCOM is jointly operated and managed by the Indonesian consulting and engineering company PT Entec and the Technical Education Development Centre Bandung (TEDC).

The setting up of HYCOM is supported by the Renewable Energy Support Programme for ASEAN (ASEAN-RESP), which is implemented by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) on behalf of ASEAN and the German government.