LONDON (Jan 16): Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed optimism that Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) (KL:TENAGA) foray into the renewable energy (RE) sector in the United Kingdom will yield significant long-term benefits for Malaysia, particularly in terms of technology transfer.

He emphasised that Malaysia is actively seeking new investments in the RE sector, driven by robust economic growth and the fast growing Southeast Asian region.

“With the changing of times, you realise that there is now the shift from the conventional utilisation of energy to the new energy, RE. And TNB as a major player, has done remarkably well,” he said at the launching of TNB’s 102 megawatt (MW) Eastfield and Bunkers Hill solar farms in the United Kingdom. 

Also present were Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, and TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan.

In the Asean context, Anwar, who is also Malaysia’s finance minister, said the government will prioritise enhancing regional energy cooperation through the Asean Power Grid, a critical initiative for advancing the region’s energy transition.

“Key steps include integrating Thai and Lao energy grids into the broader Asean network, and exporting Sarawak’s hydroelectric power to Singapore. These efforts mark a significant stride towards strengthening energy security, and accelerating the clean energy transition in the Global South,” he said.

Anwar said that TNB, alongside other players, have been entrusted with the responsibility to conduct research to explore new avenues, particularly in the area of RE, and he praised the national energy company for continuing investment in training and expertise.

“TNB’s investment scale is national here, and of course, it would require a lot of effort. I must thank TNB for its role in the energy-transition roadmap,” he added.

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