IPOH: Perak will embark on a pilot project to develop new solar module technology by working with a company from Lithuania to turn the state into a solar technology gateway for the Southeast Asian market.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the partnership was important because environmental-friendly solar technology was gaining ground in the region.
“The technology is growing fast. Perak had before this planned to develop the technology but it was not feasible.
“Through this collaboration, the (Lithuanian) company will set up a factory and make Perak its base in the Southeast Asian market,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after witnessing the signing of a cooperation agreement and the sale and purchase agreement for photovoltaic solar module between Majuperak Energy Resources Sdn Bhd (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Perak State Development Corporation) and Baltic Optical Disks Group of Companies (BOD) from Lithuania, here yesterday.
Also present were Perak State Development Corporation chief executive Datuk Aminuddin Md Desa and Majuperak Energy Resources chairman Datuk Abdul Manaf Hashim.
Majuperak Energy Resources was represented by its director Salween Azila Ahmad Tauffik while BOD by Vidmantas Janulevicius.
Zambry said the desire to work with BOD emerged after a working visit to Lithuania last December where he became interested in the latest technology used by the company in the production of solar module.
He said the collaboration was the first step for Perak in setting up the first 100 megawatt solar modules factory.
Aminuddin said the new generation module manufactured by BOD bodes well for Perak’s aim of becoming a renewable energy centre in the region.
Janulevicius said the new technology by BOD was a suitable solution in resolving generation of renewable energy in situations involving space constraints.
“The technology resolves the issue of space constraint as the material used to produce solar energy doubles up as construction material,” he said.
As an initial investment, Janulevicius said the company would invest €1.3 million or about RM5 million, for research before setting up its first factory in Perak. By Jaspal Singh