KUALA LUMPUR: Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd, the largest halal home-grown wholesale and retail chain in Malaysia, is implementing carbon-neutral energy solutions and driving sustainability efforts in the retail industry.
Mydin managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin expects the company to save RM71.05 million over 30 years through the initiative with NEFIN, a renewable energy leader in Asia Pacific.
"We have three main structures which are very important to manage, which are labour, electric and rental," he said at the signing ceremony with NEFIN today.
The estimated RM71.05 million savings is through the installation of a total generation of 286.77 million kiloWatt hour (kWh) of clean energy, which is equivalent to offsetting 199,002 tonnes of carbon dioxide CO2 emissions over the system's 30-year lifetime.
The installation will be carried out by NEFIN's contractor partner Total IFM which has 20 years of experience in providing integrated engineering services.
The combined solar energy system will be deployed across six Mydin stores in Senawang (Negri Sembilan) Pulau Sebang, Jasin, MITC (Melaka), Pelangi Indah and Taman Rinting (Johor).
The retail sector is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia, accounting for 10 per cent of the total emissions.
The industry is a significant energy user as well, with 40 per cent of the energy used by the sector is accounted for by electricity usage.
By 2030, Malaysia aims to attain climate neutrality and reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity by 45 per cent from 2005 levels.
Mydin said through the collaboration, it will be able to lower its energy and carbon emissions while also establishing new benchmarks for sustainable business practices in the retail industry.
In 2023, Mydin continues to demonstrate its dedication to environmental conservation through various initiatives.
These efforts include the zero bag plastic campaign, energy-saving measures in management, the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and the recycle clothing garbage initiative.