by AZALEA AZUAR / pic source: Nik Nazmi’s Facebook

TENAGA Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) UK subsidiary, Vantage RE Ltd, will help Malaysia accelerate its energy transition (ET) by providing insights and balancing energy security, affordability and environmental sustainability.

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (picture) said this will ensure economic resilience and sustainable growth, while enhancing technology transfer and human capital competencies.

“Malaysia must navigate the energy transition while balancing security, affordability and environmental sustainability to remain economically resilient and capitalise on sustainable growth opportunities.

“This transition will benefit the country through technology transfer and human capital competency enhancement,” he said in a statement.  

Nik Nazmi also praised TNB for leading Malaysia’s ET, reducing its carbon footprint and embracing renewable energy (RE).

The minister was in London, UK, recently to inaugurate Vantage RE’s new headquarters and visit its offshore wind farms.

“I am hopeful that Vantage RE will continue to grow and make even greater strides in the coming years.

“Your ideas and expertise are invaluable as we pursue our ambitious ET goals,” he said during the launch.

According to Nik Nazmi, the Malaysian government is looking at importing energy and export markets as it aspires for the country to play an important role in the Asean Power Grid.

“I am confident that the UK’s insights will provide crucial guidance for Malaysia as we pursue this vision,” he added.

Meanwhile, TNB president and CEO Datuk Baharin Din said international RE business is one of TNB’s long-term priorities.

“In keeping with our aspiration as the leading provider of sustainable energy in Malaysia and internationally, we will continue to invest substantially in this area,” he said in the statement.

TNB’s overseas venture accelerates RE growth, builds TNB capabilities and helps Malaysia establish frameworks for key technologies like Battery Energy Storage System (BESS); hydrogen; and carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) for ET.

In 2022, 31% of the UK’s electricity was generated from wind and solar.

With plans to increase capacity, the UK government launched the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements in 2022 to improve energy security and reduce costs.

This shift towards more stable and cheaper renewable electricity will benefit Vantage RE, which remains the key focus market for TNB’s expansion in the European RE market.

Vantage RE was established in 2021 and manages over 630 megawatts (MW) of RE assets in the UK and Europe.