KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), through its subsidiary GSPARX Sdn Bhd, is installing solar panels on four Malaysia Airlines Bhd buildings at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
TNB, in a statement today, said the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels would have a capacity of 2.210 megawatt peak (MWp), capable of generating about 2.86 gigawatt hours (GWh) of clean energy per year.
The project is the largest installation at a single site for GSPARX.
It would benefit Malaysia Airlines in its long-term pursuit of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, TNB said.
"Once completed in April 2021, the green energy generated from the project is expected to offset about 2,022 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission for the first year, or 56,638 tonnes of emission by 2050, translating into 12,197 cars taken off the road or 933,520 trees grown.
"Malaysia Airlines is expected to save almost RM15 million in electricity bills throughout a 21-year period as it taps into GSPARX's expertise in the installation and operation of rooftop solar PV panels," TNB said.
TNB president and group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said it had taken a firm position with its recently-renewed aspiration to be a leading provider of sustainable energy solutions in Malaysia and internationally.
"To this end, we will be driving a significant shift in our generation portfolio towards more renewable sources, and have stated our intent to make the recently commissioned Jimah East power plant in Negri Sembilan, TNB's last greenfield coal-fired power plant," said Amir.
He said TNB was steadily building on its renewable energy (RE) portfolio both domestically and abroad, with a view to achieve 1,700 megawatts by 2025, and to support the nation's target of 20 per cent RE by 2025.
Amir also said apart from large-scale generation assets, TNB was also actively supporting RE growth in the distributed generation space.
This is through partnerships like the solar PV project with Malaysia Airlines to help customers become prosumers.
"The RE partnerships that TNB undertakes are also at the core of effecting a chain of economic activity towards building a solar manufacturing hub in Malaysia.
"This is aligned with a set of six focus areas TNB is championing to support the nation's economic recovery post the impact of the MCO and Covid-19 pandemic.
"Besides building a global solar manufacturing hub, the other focus areas include investing in the grid, energy efficiency, electrifying mobility, advancing connectivity and reskilling," said Amir.
Malaysia Airlines chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail said the carrier and its sister companies under Malaysian Aviation Group (MAG) had introduced more than 40 initiatives in the past three years to reduce their carbon footprint.
"This new milestone marks the next step forward in MAG's long-term commitment to play a greater role in driving sustainability efforts for Malaysia and the aviation industry, as evident in our collaboration with GSPARX today," Izham added.