Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Westports) appointed clean energy expert, Solarvest Holdings Berhad (Solarvest), to install rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across two of their Port Klang warehouse facilities.
In a statement, the group said the appointment sees Solarvest leading the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) of the 7.7 megawatt-peak (MWp) installation, adding to its growing solar PV portfolio in the logistics sector.
As the country’s leading port operator, Westports handled more than 8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo in the first nine months of 2023.
“The installation is projected to be completed in mid-2024,” the group said.
It said that it has been seeking to meaningfully lower its carbon emissions, after it has recently adopted Bursa Malaysia’s carbon emissions tracker, the centralised sustainability intelligence (CSI) platform.
“This project alone is expected to offset approximately 6,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide for Westports per year.
“Furthermore, the company has set an Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which aligns with Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR),” it said.
Westports executive chairman and group managing director Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam Abdullah said Westports is committed to achieving Operational Net Zero emissions by 2050.
“The transition to cleaner energy stands as a significant pillar in our journey. As the National Energy Grid is unlikely to reach zero emissions in near future, we decided to pursue on our own plans to produce energy, with solar power being the first step in this direction.
“The company is excited to embark on this second project with Solarvest and looks forward to a long-term partnership. We believe that with these initiatives, our combined efforts will lead to a better environment and benefit our future generations,” he said.
Commenting on the appointment, Solarvest executive director and group chief executive officer Davis Chong Chun Shiong said the group’s growing solar PV portfolio in the transportation and logistics sector is broadly reflected in the sector’s anticipated market growth.
The sector is set to grow from USD 26.35 billion in 2023 to USD 35.10 billion by 2029 in Malaysia.
“The increased awareness on the benefits of renewable energy is prompting logistics players to adopt clean energy solutions in line with their ESG commitments.
“With this latest appointment by Westports, we will work hand in hand with one of the largest port operators in Southeast Asia to reduce their carbon footprint, and contribute to Malaysia’s overall commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030,” he said.
