KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 7): Fresh from finalising the large scale solar 5 (LSS5) winners, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) is targeting to kick off the bidding round for LSS6 in the second quarter of this year.

LSS5 set a new record for the highest capacity ever offered under the LSS programme, featuring four packages with a total capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW). The Energy Commission (EC) announced the LSS5 winners in December last year, eight months after bidding commenced in April 2024.

The ministry also plans to open the bidding round for the installation of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to third parties in the third quarter of this year, according to a statement on Friday.

The BESS programme was first announced in November 2024, when Petra called for a request for qualification for the inaugural development of BESS, which will offer a capacity totalling 400MW and 1,600 megawatt-hours.

The announcement on LSS6 came just weeks after Petra said it is launching LSS5+ bidding round, also targeting 2,000MW capacity, scheduled for operations in 2027. 

Petra said LSS6 and BESS are expected to further increase the capacity of renewable energy in the national electricity supply system and supply grid, respectively.

Both the LSS6 and BESS programmes are scheduled to be operational in 2026, according to EC.

In addition to LSS6 and BESS, Petra is introducing the Community Renewable Energy Aggregation Mechanism (Cream) — a new initiative designed to maximise residential rooftop solar potential.

This programme will enable homeowners to lease or rent out their rooftops to third parties for solar-power generation.

“The Cream programme will facilitate the deployment of rooftop solar in residential areas through an open grid access concept, adapted from the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS), which was launched in September 2024.

“This initiative is expected to boost Malaysia’s renewable energy adoption by optimising unused rooftop spaces for solar power generation,” the ministry said in the same statement.

The guidelines for implementing Cream are currently being finalised, with the EC set to announce the full details and framework soon.

“Renewable energy developers can consolidate rooftop space, in accordance with federal, state, and local authority regulations, to establish solar power generation systems. The green electricity generated will then be distributed to local consumers through the existing utility company’s distribution network.

“Additionally, corporate entities seeking renewable energy solutions will have the opportunity to source green electricity generated locally,” Petra said.

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