Devamany (right) presents a memento to Abang Johari. Also seen is Dr Rundi. — Photo by Tan Song Wei
KUCHING: The Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water has embarked on the Renewable Energy Transition Roadmap (RETR) 2050 to reduce Malaysia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Its acting Deputy Minister Senator Datuk Seri Devamany S. Krishnasamy said the RETR 2050 is being developed by the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda).
“Many countries have embarked on energy transition programmes, with Germany taking the lead in its famous Energiewende (Energy Transition) since the 1970s.
“Our RETR 2050 should be completed by next year and perhaps we can have the roadmap launched by the 5th Ises (International Sustainable Energy Summit) 2020,” he said before Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg launched the 4th Ises 2018 at the Pullman Hotel here yesterday.
Devamany said the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) aimed to reduce the country’s GHG emissions intensity of gross domestic product (GDP) by 45 per cent by 2030.
Such reduction, according to him, consists of 35 per cent on an unconditional basis and a further 10 per cent on a conditional basis which is upon receipt of climate finance, transfer of technology and capacity building from developed countries.
Quoting a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report, he said the global clean energy investment rose three per cent from 2016 to US$333.5 billion last year.
This marked the second highest investment figure with the highest recorded back in 2015, he added.
“Solar continued its dominance with global solar investment peaking at US$160.8 billion, up 18 per cent from 2016.”
Locally, he said Seda had approved a total of Feed-in Tariff (FiT) applications with estimated investment of RM11.2 billion as at Jan this year.
He added that these projects were estimated to create about 27,000 jobs.
“As at end of Jan 2018, a cumulative total of 12,190 FiT applications have been approved with the total renewable energy capacity of 1,636 megawatt (MW) of which 534 MW has achieved commercial operation,” pointed out Devamany.
He said Seda is also responsible for implementing the MySuria programme which targets to install 1,620 of the B40 (bottom 40 per cent of income earners) homes with three kilowatt of solar photovoltaic (PV) system by this year.
Besides, Seda is also implementing the Net Energy Metering (NEM) which is based on the self-consumption of solar PV electricity, he added.
“Any excess solar PV electricity will be sold to the distribution licensee at displaced cost. As at the end of Jan 2018, a cumulative total of 154 NEM applications with a total capacity of only eight megawatt have been approved.
“Admittedly, the take-up rate has been slow compared to the allocation of 100 MW per year from 2016 to 2020, making a total quota allocation of 500 MW over five years.
“This low take-up rate of the NEM is mainly attributed to the low return of investment as excess solar electricity is sold to the distribution licensee at displaced cost which does not contribute significantly enough to the return of investment of these solar PV systems,” added Devamany.
Among those present was Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.