Tenaga Nasional Berhad is getting serious in its renewable energy commitment, having since worked with various parties locally including government agencies, the utility giant is looking outside the country to understand and implement better solutions in its energy grid.
In these efforts, TNB is tapping into Elia Group SA/NV, one of the largest and reputable transmission system operators in Europe for a strategic collaboration in sharing of best practices and industry insights to facilitate its owne RE and energy transition efforts. Elia is the transmission operator in Belgium and Germany, serving around 30 million customers. It has over 19,000 km of high voltage lines in Belgium and Germany, and more than 45,000 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity in renewable energy.
This collaboration comes at a very pivotal time since TNB has conducted a midterm re-alignment to ensure that the Group are always on track with the rapid changes in the environment front and the national electricity supply industry reform,” said CEO Datuk Ir. Baharin Din. “TNB will invest substantially in the area of renewable energy (RE) and focus the Group’s efforts towards low-carbon generation in tandem with our aspiration to be the leading provider of sustainable energy solutions in Malaysia and internationally. Through its Grid Division it will continue to give priority to investing in modernising the national grid to become the grid of the future, a smart grid that remains dependable, resilient to disruption, smart with digital technology, and flexible in meeting the nation’s energy transition requirements.
According to TNB, there is lot that Elia can share, especially towards a successful energy transition in the area of RE, as TNB will be integrating large volumes of RE in the future. The collaboration will see a more structured implementation effort that can yield greater tangible results, which will encompass five key focuses: operational excellence, future trends for utilities, regulatory framework, system operations new bearing, and business ventures. Both parties will also exchange technical information through annual reports and surveys, solutions to problems, technical visits, study trips, and the necessary training programs. “We believe all these will be of significant benefits to both TNB and Elia,” added Baharin.
Both parties share common ambitions regarding achieving sustainability and the growth of their respective activities at an international level, helping to accelerate the energy transition worldwide. Accordingly, they also share strong interests and expertise in operational excellence, digitalisation, and customer-centricity.
