Malaysia: Kudat set to become Sabah's renewable energy dynamo

Malaysia: Kudat set to become Sabah's renewable energy dynamo

Sabah's northernmost town, Kudat, is undergoing development to transform it
into the state's centre for renewable energy (RE).

According to Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr
Maximus Ongkili, Kudat's sunny climate makes it an ideal location for solar
photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation.

"To date, some 58 megawatts of solar PV plants have been approved (for
construction in Kudat) by (my) Ministry and the Sustainable Energy
Development Authority (Seda).

"About 2 megawatts will be channelled to the local Kudat grid, while the
bulk will be injected into the transmission line for distribution across the
whole of Sabah.

"About 50 megawatts are entirely funded by the private sector, and will
create job opportunities for locals in terms of technical and management
(positions)," he said in a statement.

The federal government will also look into harnessing wind energy in both
Kudat and Kota Marudu, where studies by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and
power agencies from China and Thailand have determined that up to 300
megawatts of wind energy can be generated.

There are also plans to set up a research centre for renewable wind and
solar PV energy in Kudat, which would see a collaboration between local
universities and Asean energy institutes.

Ongkili said that these efforts are part of the government's plan to reduce
diesel subsidies in the country and diminish greenhouse gas emissions.

"Currently, between RM450 million and RM600 million are spent annually by
the federal treasury for diesel subsidy, which is both wasteful and
inefficient.

"The federal Cabinet is considering reducing that amount by half in the next
three years by replacing diesel generation with RE sources.

"At the same time, Malaysia will also be lowering its carbon footprint, in
keeping with its commitment to the Paris Agreement to reduce its greenhouse
gas emissions," said Ongkili.

The solar PV plants are being jointly-developed by Tadau Energy Sdn Bhd and
Edra Global Energy Bhd (Edra), with about 8 megawatts reserved for the
Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) scheme.

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Link to Original Article:
https://www.nst.com.my/news/government-public-policy/2017/06/252994/kudat-se
t-become-sabahs-renewable-energy-dynamo

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com