From Grid Upgrades To Clean Energy, Here’s A Look At Malaysia's Journey To Net Zero 2050
The national utility company is gearing up to support economic growth and meet increasing electricity demand.
By Jeremy Ng — 06 Dec 2024, 10:42 AM
Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) is committed to supporting Malaysia's energy transition goals, and plans to invest RM45 billion between 2025 and 2027 to upgrade the national power grid infrastructure
The national utility is gearing up for Regulatory Period 4 (RP4) from 2025 to 2027, preparing to support economic growth and meet increasing electricity demand.
Key investment areas in RP4 include:
- Grid modernisation
- Renewable energy integration
- New generation capacity connection to the grid
- Meeting demand growth and enhancing energy efficiency
- Improving customer service
- Ensuring climate and environmental resilience
RP4 also aims to boost the efficiency and reliability of electricity distribution by implementing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), equipping homes and businesses with smart meters to provide real-time energy consumption data for efficient network management and seamless renewable energy integration.
Smart grid technology integration will enhance electricity distribution monitoring and management, resulting in fewer disruptions and quicker service recovery when issues arise.
The initiatives also cover equipment replacement, power line strengthening, and substation upgrades.
All in all, TNB is at the forefront of advancing the national power grid, driven by a vision to create a 'Grid of the Future' (GoTF) that modernises, enhances efficiency, and accommodates higher renewable energy penetration.
At a regional level, Malaysia's vast renewable energy potential, such as solar and hydro, can be harnessed for regional power trading
RP4 aligns with the ASEAN Power Grid (APG), a multilateral initiative aimed at connecting the power grids of 10 ASEAN nations, enabling cross-border electricity trade in the region.
While ASEAN collectively targets achieving 23% renewable energy in the regional energy mix by 2025, Malaysia has set a more ambitious goal of achieving carbon Net Zero by 2050. APG has the potential to accelerate clean energy transitions in the region by fostering knowledge sharing, capacity building, and attracting private sector investments, while facilitating infrastructure development for cross-border renewable energy transmission.
These benefits create opportunities for a bright future for Malaysian youth, especially those from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes within the nation's energy sector.
There are various ongoing regional collaboration initiatives, including the Laos PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP), and has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with neighbouring ASEAN countries to explore future cross-border connectivity projects.
TNB plays a vital role in developing and maintaining regional connectivity infrastructure, linking Malaysia's power grid with Thailand and Singapore. This is crucial for enhancing power stability and diversifying energy supplies. In cases of domestic supply shortages or disruptions, regional connectivity can be leveraged to ensure a more resilient energy system.
In addition, TNB is also championing three flagship projects in renewable energy and clean technology under the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR):
- Centralised large-scale solar (LSS) parks
- Hybrid Hydro-Floating Solar
- Hydrogen-ammonia co-combustion projects
These initiatives aim to deliver over 3,000MW of renewable energy capacity by 2040, with approximately 2,500MW from HHFS technology and an additional 500MW from five separate LSS parks.
TNB is currently developing 2,500MW of floating HHFS systems at TNB's hydro dam reservoirs, with plans to install 70MW at the Chenderoh hydro plant, 640MW at Kenyir, and 200MW at Temengor. Operations are expected to commence between 2026 and 2027.
On top of achieving carbon net zero goals through renewable energy projects, TNB remains steadfast in its commitment to providing reliable energy to customers throughout RP4.
This Spotlight is sponsored.
