The energy commission of Malaysia (Suruhanjaya Tenaga) has awarded nearly 491 MW (490.88 MW) of large-scale solar projects to five companies.

The winning companies are ib vogt GmbH and Coara Solar, Cypark Resources Berhad and Impian Bumiria, JKH Renewables and Solarpack Asia, ENGIE Energie Services and TTL Energy, and Konsortium Beseri Jaya and Hanwha Energy Corporation Singapore.

The tender was issued in February 2019, by Suruhanjaya Tenaga to develop 500 MW of large-scale solar projects in Peninsular Malaysia. Once commissioned, the projects were to be connected to the grid and sell energy to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) under a power purchase agreement. This was the third large-scale solar project tender under the country’s large-scale solar program. The project capacity was between 1-100 MW and expected to be commissioned by 2021.

The tender document stated that interested bidders need to make a payment of RM 2,000 (~$490) for the purchase of the RfP documents.

In the notice inviting bidders, the electricity commission had stated that the proposals with the shallow connection would be encouraged to avoid unnecessary delays in the project implementation as well as reducing the cost of the interconnection. However, an alternative interconnection point may be offered by the bidder for consideration, subject to approval by the utility company.

Malaysia is a growing economy with rising energy demand. The country aims to increase its share of renewable energy from 2% to 20% by the year 2025.

In November 2018, Mercom reported that the Malaysian government was likely to come up with an open tender in 2019 for an estimated RM 2 billion (~$490 million) worth of solar projects.

The country’s leading utility company Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), in April 2018, entered into PPAs for 60 MW of grid-connected solar PV projects. This was after it entered PPAs with six separate project developers to establish a combined 180 MW of grid-connected solar PV projects in March 2018. TNB had secured RM 339 million (~$79 million) in financing from Affin Islamic Bank Bhd for a 50 MW large-scale solar project in Selangor, Malaysia, in August 2017.

Image credit: Solar Provider Group

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.