KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has signed three memoranda of understanding (MoU) with major energy players in Thailand to capitalise on regional demand and potential in greener power in Asean.
Through the partnerships, TNB said it aspired to strengthen Asean power interconnections and enable the various partners to leverage each other's resources and develop the related regional infrastructure for renewable energy (RE).
"These collaborations are strategic steps to realise key milestones in our responsible Energy Transition plan, and TNB's overall sustainability pathway commitment," said TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Indera Ir. Baharin Din.
The national electricity corporation signed an MoU with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to set up a joint working committee to study the feasibility of a proposed enhancement of the interconnection capacity between Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand.
Two of TNB's subsidiaries, TNB Renewables Sdn Bhd (TRe) and TNB Power Generation Sdn Bhd (TNB Genco), signed MoUs respectively with Planet Utility Co Ltd (PU) and B.Grimm Power Public Co Ltd (B.Grimm).
The TRe-PU MoU was for exploring potential RE and power generation technologies opportunities in Thailand while the TNB Genco-B.Grimm MoU aimed at exploring any opportunities for collaborations, participation and development of RE power projects in the Southeast Asia region.
The MoU with PU entailed evaluating strategic options for potential RE investment in floating solar, solar rooftop and ground-mounted solar projects in Thailand, which will contribute positively to TRe business growth and market expansion.
Under the MoU signed with B.Grimm, both companies aim to collaborate, co-develop and invest in mutually selected sustainable green-field and brown-field power projects of B.Grimm Power, within Southeast Asia.
Baharin said the collaborations would accelerate the carbon neutrality ambition of the respective partner companies and strengthen the growth momentum for RE in the Asean region.
"With the International Renewable Energy Agency's (IRENA) projection of more than 60 per cent of installed generation in 2050 for Asean countries coming from RE, this translates to at least 1,500 gigawatts of generation capacity, in which TNB hopes to extend our participation," he said.