KUALA LUMPUR: Masers Energy Malaysia Sdn Bhd, wholly-owned by Masers Energy Inc, plans to set up a ‘Smart Grid’ low carbon project in Malaysia, with a US$30 billion investment over the next 10 years.
Its president Datuk Seri Suhaimi Abdul Rahman said that for a start, the company would set aside US$20 billion to build a 10 megawatt (MW) ‘smart grid city, carbon free city’ in Melaka as a pilot project.
“The city is poised to be one of the world’s most sustainable cities.
“The masterplan envisions a development that is zero-waste, carbon-free and carbon neutral, with solar power being the primary energy resource for powering Melaka,” he told reporters after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing between Masers Energy Malaysia, Trina Solar Pte Ltd and Seagate Global Group.
Under the MoU, Masers would partner with Trina Solar and Seagate to deliver the low carbon project to Melaka and Malaysia.
Suhaimi said the 10MW solar farm in Melaka was expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15,000 tonnes a year and is set to be the first cost-efficient solar farm in Malaysia.
“The new sustainable carbon-free city, which will cover nine square kilometres, will be primarily powered by solar energy and employ a broad range of innovative energy efficient technologies to be used for the smart grid city, ship to shore connections for carbon-free ports, and waste and water recycling.
“Customers will have options to choose the amount and type of power they use, how and when to use those energy resources efficiently,” he said.
Masers had also submitted a proposal to the government for the US$10 billion national smart grid initiative, namely ‘1Malaysia Carbon Free Nation, Smart Grid City 2030’.
“I’ve been made to understand this proposal has been taken up to the Unit Kerjasama Awam Swasta (UKAS) (Public Private Partnership Unit) in the Prime Minister’s Department,” Suhaimi said, adding that the proposal was to be finalised by year-end. — Bernama