KOTA KINABALU, July 30 — The National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) especially the solar panel project under Phase 1 of the plan can play an important role in helping long-term efforts to meet the demand for electricity supply in Sabah.

Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Ruslan Muharam said the benefit can be seen through the capacity and role played by the Kudat solar farm operating since 2018 which is capable of generating 50 megawatts (MW) for electricity supply in the state.

He said the Federal Government’s focus through NETR to increase the use of solar panels for electricity generation is the right step in Sabah’s efforts to meet the supply demand and further overcome the problem of electricity disruption in the state.

"Therefore through NETR, I hope that this large-scale solar farm project will be expanded further, I once suggested that a large-scale solar farm project be implemented in the Beaufort area and I am sure that the area is suitable.

"The government may be able to implement the solar project in other suitable areas because it can help the government solve electricity supply problems in Sabah, especially in the interior areas that do not have such facilities,” he told Bernama after officiating RTM’s ‘Debaran Bintang Kecil’ programme here recently.

Sabah is currently able to generate a total of 84 MW of electricity through solar generation, of which 50MW is through the Kudat solar farm, and 34MW is Solar Photovoltaic (Solar PV) Projects under the Feed-in Tariff scheme involving 796 individual, commercial and community installations.

On May 3, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) said that the demand for electricity supply during peak hours for Sabah was around 970 MW, but on April 26, the state recorded the highest demand this year at 1,029 MW, therefore rationing had to be done to ensure the state’s electricity grid is stable.

Last Thursday (July 27), Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli launched NETR Phase 1 which plays a role in making clean energy a relevant choice in the country as well as opening up more investment opportunities worth RM435 billion to RM1.85 trillion by 2050.

When asked about the pilot solar panel project on house roofs in NETR implemented in the residential areas of Elmina and Bandar Bukit Raja, Selangor, totalling 4.5 megawatts for 450 houses, Ruslan said similar projects can be implemented in Sabah.

"We hope for this to be implemented in Sabah as well. The people of Sabah also want to enjoy the facilities following the electricity disruptions that often occur in Sabah now,” he said, adding that the Sabah government is willing to cooperate in the project.

He said the pilot project could also be beneficial in providing electricity to residents in rural areas in Sabah which is currently difficult to do because of the constraints faced in expanding the reach of the electricity grid to those areas.

Meanwhile, Solarvest Holdings Berhad Davis Group chief executive officer Chong Chun Shiong said Malaysia’s commitment to achieving its renewable energy (RE) target is commendable, and NETR demonstrates a clear and promising direction for the country’s energy future.

He said NETR is the right path for the country to focus on six energy transition levers namely energy efficiency (EE), RE, hydrogen, bioenergy, green mobility, and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS).

"This reflects the government’s efforts in collaborating with government-linked companies (GLCs) to take a proactive approach in exploring pilot energy transition mechanisms and taking early risks in the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions,” he said in a statement to Bernama.

He said solar energy is one of the most viable RE in Malaysia that could contribute to flagship catalyst projects of the Renewable Energy Zone (RE Zone).

"The Integrated RE Zone and Solar Park will not only induce growth in the solar energy sector but also pave the way for Third Party Access (TPA) policy and mechanism, promoting energy liberalisation and creating an open and competitive market for energy players like Solarvest Holdings Berhad (Solarvest).

"An open market will foster greater participation and innovation in the RE sector, encouraging independent power producers (IPP) to invest and ultimately benefiting consumers. Additionally, we applaud the decision to scale up the installation of solar systems in government buildings and the development of green townships,” he added.

Solarvest is a clean energy expert with a vision to energising a regenerative world, and since its establishment in 2012, Solarvest has been advocating for solar energy adoption and later embarked on a strategic roadmap to offer more clean energy solutions. — Bernama