In a statement today, the independent power producer (IPP) said the project will see projected electricity savings of RM9.7 million for RAC and KTMB annually.
“This 1.42MWp of total capacity is anticipated to contribute to an annual reduction of 19,376 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), equivalent to the conservation of 484,400 matured trees.
It added the agreement, which was signed today, aligns with the flagship project for green mobility under the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), focusing specifically on the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for rail operations.
Malakoff managing director and group CEO Anwar Syahrin Ajib said the collaboration signifies Malakoff’s commitment to diversifying its renewable energy (RE) portfolio by integrating green energy sources into its energy generation mix for a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
“We have also set an ambitious target of achieving 1,400MW of RE capacity by 2031 through collective efforts.”
Malakoff, which is part of the MMC Group, is Malaysia’s largest IPP with an effective generating capacity of 5,342MW, according to its website.
Anwar said the company is promoting support for green initiatives across all transportation sectors and facilitating plans to decrease greenhouse gas emissions stemming from the transportation industry.
“Therefore, solar carport installation, which is known to harness solar energy effectively and act as an efficient shield against intense heat for parked vehicles is one way to meet these green initiative objectives,” he added.
Through its unit Malakoff Green Solutions, the group has a total of 151MW of RE generating capacity ranging from the implementation of Large Scale Solar and Rooftop Solar projects, to small hydropower generation, and the installation of carbon-free mobility infrastructure.
RAC CEO Azhar Ahmad said the signing of the agreement marks the starting point for future implementation of other green initiatives.
“By the third quarter of 2024, RAC plans to implement the second phase of this RE initiative at 17 locations, including 16 railway stations and one park and ride building in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Perlis,” he said, adding the third phase will include 25 more locations throughout Peninsular Malaysia.
“Through this initiative, we intend to promote the use of RE within the rail transportation industry and to assist KTMB in reducing its electricity consumption by 30% through the distribution of RE generated power for operational (management) needs at railway stations,” added Azhar.
RAC, established in 1992 under the auspices of the transport ministry, is the manager and administrator of the railway assets formerly held by the Malayan Railway Administration (KTM).
Malakoff’s shares closed half-a-sen or 0.8% lower, valuing the group at RM3.1 billion.