KUALA LANGAT: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is investing RM349 million to put up a 50MW solar photovoltaic plant here, the biggest in Malaysia.
“This is the first for TNB and the biggest in Malaysia,” said TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Azman Mohd.
“Our unit TNB Engineering & Construction Sdn Bhd bid for this solar plant project via a competitive process held by Energy Commission,” Azman told reporters at the groundbreaking ceremony held here today.
Also present were Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang, Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) chief executive officer Catherine Ridu, TNB Energy Ventures Sdn Bhd vice president Datuk Nor Azman Mufti and Affin Islamic Bank Bhd chief executive officer Nazlee Khalifah.
This large scale solar plant is being built on a 98ha site where trees are cleared to make way for maximum exposure of solar panels to capture sunlight.
Two months ago, TNB’s unit TNB Sepang Solar Sdn Bhd borrowed RM339 million from Affin Islamic Bank to fund this solar energy project.
Six months ago, TNB Sepang Solar had sign a 21-year agreement with TNB to supply solar energy to the national grid.
When the construction of this solar plant is completed in November 2018, TNB total solar energy capacity will increase from 23.2MW to 73.2MW.