WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

3.4.4 Malaysia
Mohd Afzanizam Mohd Badrin, Malaysia Foresight
Institute, Malaysia
Key facts
Population 29,179,952 1
Area 329,961 km 2
Climate Tropical; annual southwest (April to
October) and northeast (October to
February) monsoons
Topography Coastal plains rising to hills and
mountains.
Rain pattern Annual mean rainfall for Peninsular
Malaysia is 2,400 mm; Sabah 2,360
mm and Sarawak 3,830 mm.
Electricity sector overview
The Malaysian Government established the Energy
Commission on 1 January 2002, under the Energy
Commission Act 2001. It assumed all responsibilities
of the Department of Electricity and Gas Supply which
was dissolved on the same date.
The main utilities are Tenaga National Berhad (TNB),
the Sarawak Electricity Supply Company (SESCO) and
Sabah Electricity Limited (SESB), each covering the
region of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah
respectively and all having the Government as its main
shareholder. In all three regions there are also
independent power producers (IPPs) supplying some
portion of the electricity to the utilities. 2
The use of distributed power generation technologies
such as solar hybrid power generation or micro hydroelectricity
to provide access to electricity is greatly
viable in Malaysia. These solutions have been applied
in approximately 17 per cent of the new connections
from 2010 to 2012. 3 The target is to supply five times
as many houses with electricity as compared to the
2006-2008 timeframe.
In 2010, the total installed capacity of TNB and IPP in
Peninsular Malaysia remains at 7,040 MW and 14,777
MW respectively. Total electricity generation in 2010
was 125,045 GWh, dominated by natural gas and coal
(figure 1).
Others
Oil
Biomass
Diesel
Hydropower
Coal
Natural gas
0.12%
0.78%
1.01%
1.25%
5.11%
39.57%
52.16%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Malaysia
Source: Small Renewable Energy Programme 4
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
As of 2012, there are 58 mini-scale hydropower
stations in Malaysia. TNB Energy Services Sdn Bhd
(TNB-ES), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenaga
Nasional Berhad (TNB), has been operating and
maintaining 30 mini hydro stations throughout the
peninsular with a total installed capacity of
approximately 16 MW. 5 Small hydropower has yet to
be fully developed. With hilly topography from south
to north, east to west and an abundant number of
streams flowing to foothills, Malaysia has considerable
small hydropower potential.
SHP installed capacity
SHP potential
87.7 MW
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Malaysia
Source: Energy Commission of Malaysia 4 , Raman 6
116.6 MW
A total of 149 sites with an estimated micro
hydropower potential of 28.9 MW have been
identified (figure 2). 6 There are some 150 river
systems in Peninsular Malaysia and about 50 river
systems in Sabah and Sarawak. It is also predicted that
by the year 2020, most rivers and waterways will be
fully utilized especially for the generation of
electricity.
Access to water and the use, control and diversion of
water flows is subject to federal and state regulation.
Other regulations apply to any physical alteration of a
stream channel or bank that may affect water quality
or wildlife habitat.
Renewable energy policy
The Energy Commission, also a government
monitoring agency of national renewable energy
development, has set a target of 5.5 per cent for
electricity from renewable energies. This was made
achievable through the establishment of the
Sustainable Energy Development Authority, formed as
a statutory body under the Sustainable Energy
Development Authority Act 726 in 2011.
In 2009, the authority developed the National
Renewable Energy Policy and Action Plan aimed at
harnessing renewable resources. The document
outlines five objectives comprising elements of
energy, industry and environment: 7
1. To increase renewable energy contribution in the
national power generation mix.
2. To facilitate the growth of the renewable energy
industry.
3. To ensure reasonable renewable energy generation
costs.
4. To conserve the environment for future
generations.
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