KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 26): Tenaga Nasional Bhd will kick-start a 400 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) pilot project in this quarter, marking Malaysia's first utility-scale battery storage project to address intermittency issues of renewable energy (RE).
Why is battery storage important in Malaysia?
The integration of battery storage is becoming increasingly essential as Malaysia seeks to leverage more renewable energy sources, particularly solar power. Solar energy's variability, dependent on weather conditions, necessitates reliable storage solutions to ensure a consistent electricity supply during periods of low or no sunlight.
Who is Eve energy storage Malaysia?
The project will be executed by its wholly-owned subsidiary in Malaysia, Eve Energy Storage Malaysia Sdn Bhd, located in Kulim City, Kedah State, as an expansion of its existing production facility. The construction period will not exceed 2.5 years, with a land area of about 484,000 square meters.
How much solar storage is needed in Malaysia?
In a recent interview, outgoing TNB president and CEO Datuk Seri Baharin Din highlighted the substantial storage requirements, estimating that around 500MW of storage capacity would be needed for every 1GW of solar capacity. This underscores the scale of investment required to fully integrate renewable energy into Malaysia's energy mix.
Eve Energy plans to build a new battery project in Malaysia to further expand its footprint in Southeast Asia. The Chinese battery giant plans to build a project in Malaysia for the production of energy storage batteries, with an investment of no more than RMB 8.65 billion ($1.2 billion), according to a stock exchange announcement on June 27.
This pilot project is a strategic move to bolster the nation's energy transition efforts and enhance the resilience of the electricity grid network. The Ministry of Energy Transition and Public Utilities emphasized the importance of this project in supporting Malaysia's clean energy aspirations.
Why is Malaysia launching a Bess project?
The inaugural development of public BESS project in Malaysia is part of the Government's efforts to support the energy transition and achieve the goals of increasing the country's installed renewable energy capacity to 70% and to achieve net-zero by 2050.