by S BIRRUNTHA / Pic source: uniten.edu.my

UNIVERSITI Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) has established the National Energy Centre (NEC) to delve into an energy transition, covering issues of climate change, sustainable development and renewable energy (RE) resources at the national and global levels.

The university, owned by Tenaga Nasional Bhd, houses five energy centres of excellence under the NEC, for carrying out various research and energy-related projects, in collaboration with experts from renowned local and foreign universities countries as well as industry leaders, with the aspiration of making Malaysia a regional energy hub.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the establishment of NEC in Uniten is a proactive effort of higher education institutions to contribute expertise to the national development agenda which includes the efforts of increasing RE capacity and dealing with carbon emissions.

“The establishment of NEC is also significant because it mobilises the efforts of various stakeholders to look into the energy transition aspects, as well as to find solutions in energy-related issues that are faced by the whole world.

“I am confident if this NEC is governed well, it can produce solutions to national and global issues related to energy which is plaguing the world currently,” he said in his speech text read by Deputy Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Ali Biju at the NEC soft launch ceremony in Kajang, Selangor, today.

The five centres of excellence that will be placed under NEC include the Institute of Sustainable Energy, Institute of Power Engineering, Institute of Energy Infrastructure, Institute of Energy Policy and Research and Institute of Informatics and Computing in Energy.

The NEC is expected to play a strategic role in strengthening its commitment towards making a carbon-neutral country as early as 2050 and fulfil its aspirations towards net-zero carbon emissions in the Sustainability Pathway 2050.

It also aims to establish a Strategic National Energy Framework to transform Malaysia into an energy hub and provides industry players with the opportunity to become a strategic partner by opening a branch or laboratory satellite incubator in the energy centre.

Among the areas that will be explored in-depth in the energy centre includes the use of hydrogen, space-based solar power, magma power, algae energy power, sunset solar power, wind and fusion power for RE and the development of electric vehicle technological ecosystems.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba expressed in his speech that NEC should collaborate in research involving energy transition, particularly in the Asean region, China, the European countries and international organisations.

“NEC can also create a high-level forum between renowned academics, industry experts and senior government officials with Asean member countries and the International Energy Agency to discuss critical issues in the energy field in-depth,” he said.