Energy Transition Ministry to focus on renewable energy, sustainability framework to boost data centre industry in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) will focus on the energy and water supply framework, supply provision and the implementation of the framework for the data centre industry, said Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

He said Petra has given its views on sustainability which is one of the main aspects of the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) launched last year.

“NETR has opened the eyes of foreign investors to come to our country, and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) is responsible for determining the policy for us to attract investments into the country, while Petra has organised the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS),” he said when met at the ‘Forward Faster Now | Asia and Oceania’ event today.

The event is organised by the United Nations Global Compact in collaboration with 15 Global Compact Country Networks throughout Asia and Oceania.

Akmal Nasrullah said data centre industry investors should meet the demands and responsibilities of the sustainable development goals (SDG) and, at the same time, Petra has also increased efforts to accelerate the use of renewable energy in the country.

“We will contact the private sector over the CRESS process later,” he said.

It was earlier reported that CRESS will start this September to increase corporate companies’ access to green electricity supply.

CRESS will offer an open grid access concept where a third party can supply (sell) or get (buy) electricity through the grid network system with a set system access charge.

At the same time, Miti is expected to announce energy and water efficient standards for data centres operating in Malaysia next month.

Meanwhile, according to the Asia and Pacific SDG progress report 2024, achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific will take an “extraordinary collective effort”.

To respond to the urgency to take action, unprecedented levels of coordination and cooperation, and a renewed focus on credibility and accountability is the need of the hour, it said.

The private sector in the Asia and Oceania region has the decisive, action-oriented outlook to lead the way and bridge the gap between commitment and action, it added. — Bernama