Energy & Technology

KUALA LUMPUR: Offshore gas production in Southeast Asia is poised to unlock a US$100 billion potential driven by a flurry of planned final investment decisions (FIDs) expected to materialise by 2028. According to global research and energy intelligence company, Rystad Energy, the upcoming period of rapid growth is bolstered by deepwater projects, recent discoveries in Malaysia and Indonesia as well as positive carbon capture and storage (CCS) advancements. “This represents an over double increase of the US$45 billion worth of developments that reached FID from 2014 to 2023 and signals a surge for the region’s offshore gas industry,” it said in a statement. Rystad Energy said oil and gas majors are expected to drive 25% of these planned investments through 2028 while national oil companies (NOCs) will account for a 31% share. Notably, East Asia’s upstream companies are emerging with a 15% share and show potential for growth through their focus on merger and acquisition opportunities and upcoming exploration ventures. “The role of majors could further expand to 27% following TotalEnergies’ substantial acquisition efforts in Malaysia,” Rystad Energy said. Earlier this year, it was reported that TotalEnergies had signed an agreement with OMV to acquire its 50% interest in Malaysian independent gas producer and operator SapuraOMV Upstream Sdn for US$903 million, a move that will increase the French oil and gas major’s presence in the region. “Recent discoveries and the involvement of NOCs will play a vital role in the growth (of new project investments and capital commitments in the region), particularly in deepwater developments, which are pivotal in determining how much of this anticipated US$100 billion boom can be realised, Rystad Energy Vice President of Upstream Research, Prateek Pandey said in the statement. Indonesia stands out in its efforts to accelerate its offshore gas activities driven by major projects, making it a formidable contender for Malaysia’s established dominance in the field. Nevertheless, the research firm said that Malaysia continues to maintain robust activity levels with recent FIDS, exploration success and planned exploration efforts. Malaysia’s upcoming FID projects underscore significant discoveries made since 2020, primarily managed by Petronas, Thailand’s national oil and gas company PTTEP and Shell. — BERNAMA

CHUKAI: Eastern Pacific Industrial Corporation Bhd (EPIC) plans to expand its service network through its subsidiary EPIC Solar Sdn Bhd (ESSB) in the field of solar energy and green technology in Malaysia. ESSB Chairman Dr Mamad Puteh said the plan is in line with the company’s mission and supports Malaysia’s aspiration to achieve the use of 40% renewable energy by 2035. Dr Mamad said that in order to achieve that wish, ESSB has become a pioneer and driver in solar projects on the East Coast with the opening of a 28-hectare solar farm with a capacity of up to 18.5 megawatts (MW) in Teluk Kalong. “The power plant in Teluk Kalong supplies solar energy with a capacity of up to 18.5MW to Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) through the national grid for a period of 21 years until 2039. “It was developed with an investment of around RM80 million in 2017,” he said in a statement in conjunction with a ceremony to celebrate 150,000 Accident-Free Working Hours at the ESSB Solar Farm in Teluk Kalong Industrial Area. Also present were EPIC Group Chief Executive Officer Mukhtar Suhaili and ESSB Company Head Azman Muda. Dr Mamad said that in line with the goal of making Kemaman Port a green port, ESSB also carried out the installation of solar street lights and solar floodlights at the East Wharf terminal. According to him, the installation of street lights and floodlights, which are categorised as support services, are also extended to EPIC’s customers at Kemaman Supply Base (KSB), including Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd. “EPIC has a great desire to make Kemaman Port a green port one day. Facilities based on solar energy generation such as street lights and floodlights will help the operations of not only EPIC’s subsidiaries but also our customers at the wharf and KSB,” he said. In the meantime, Dr Mamad said ESSB has also taken a step forward by producing the EMC Solar Car (ESCAR) which is environmentally friendly. ESCAR innovation is the result of a collaboration between ESSB and Universiti College TATI (UCTAT) in the Kemaman district. Dr Mamad said that initially ESCAR was only used in ESSB’s solar farm, but it was expanded to several premises of the subsidiary, namely Kuala Terengganu Support Base (KPKSB) and Sukna Samudra Sdn Bhd (SSSB). “ESCAR is an innovative light vehicle (buggy) that is usually used in golf clubs, the hospitality industry and tourist areas. “It uses electricity powered by solar energy stored in the battery. One of the advantages of ESCAR is that it can save on electricity,” he added. He further said that ESCAR will be improved in terms of increasing capacity and existing features for commercial purposes in the future. Dr Mamad said ESSB is also developing the ability to become an investor, supplier and installer of solar-powered roofs. Boosted by an experienced and highly skilled workforce, he is confident that ESSB will be a leading competitor in the renewable energy industry and further generate economic resources for Terengganu. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: inDrive, the global ride-hailing service, revealed how artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into every aspect of its ride-hailing app to enhance efficiency and accuracy, lower costs, improve safety and elevate user experience. This integration is pivotal in a rapidly evolving market like Malaysia, where urbanisation and technological advancements are shaping the future of transportation, aligning with the Malaysian government’s initiative to actively promote AI through the National AI Framework and the Malaysia AI Blueprint, with the aim to position the country as a regional leader in AI technology. inDrive differs from many of its competitors in that it adopted a peer-to-peer negotiation model, allowing drivers and passengers to directly negotiate the price for a ride by utilising machine learning in the pricing models to improve the accuracy of the recommended price when customers bid for rides, providing a starting point for negotiation that is fair to both customers and drivers. Using pricing and matching models, inDrive can account for local conditions such as traffic surges, sporting events, and accidents, becoming more accurate in its predictions with more local data collected. These conditions can also affect the number of drivers available and, in turn, customers’ ability to book rides. inDrive uses this information to create heat maps, guiding drivers to hotspots to increase supply where it is needed and better serve its users. “Internally, AI can be used to improve operational efficiency by streamlining processes, for example, during security checks. When a driver wants to register in the app, they must supply several documents, including an Identification Card (IC) and driver’s licence. These are manually and digitally verified by a dedicated team of professionals using different filters, currently testing machine learning-based features to better identify fraudulent documents,” said inDrive Chief Technology and Product Officer (CTPO) Stephen Kruger. Meanwhile, in some countries, inDrive uses a facial recognition tool to validate its users’ identities and machine learning to review users’ profile images and exclude sensitive, potentially dangerous, or commercial content. As inDrive operates in many countries, it adapts to the different laws and regulations, balancing technological advancement with privacy protection and societal well-being on a regional basis. As in many other industries, AI and machine learning are enabling the ride-hailing sector to rapidly evolve in quality, safety, and efficiency, impacting every aspect of the business. The use of AI has transitioned from a futuristic concept to a fundamental component of the present, with its benefits being experienced each time a ride is hailed. On this, inDrive Malaysia Regional Driver Acquisition & Activation Team Lead, Mohamed Khalil says, “As we continue to integrate AI and machine learning to improve our services, inDrive remains committed to enhancing the ride-hailing experience in Malaysia by improving efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction to benefit both drivers and passengers – paving the way towards transforming the local ride-hailing scene.”

BUTTERWORTH: Gas Malaysia Bhd, a member of MMC Group remains steadfast in its commitment to solidify its position as a provider of innovative energy solutions through its Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology. The CHP system, also known as cogeneration, generates both electricity and heat from a single fuel source. Gas Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Hashimi Abdul Manap said this technology is particularly beneficial for industrial sector customers who require both electricity and thermal energy such as steam or hot water. “Gas Malaysia Energy Advance Sdn Bhd (GMEA), a joint venture between Gas Malaysia and Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Corporation (TGES), is spearheading the CHP business. GMEA operates 3 plants with a combined capacity to generate 41.7MW of electricity, 165 tph of steam and 1,684kW of hot water with a potential to reduce about 72,261 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year,” he said in a statement. Ahmad Hashimi said the CHP system is projected to make a significant contribution to its customers’ sustainability pledge. He said this effort aims to foster a greener future as industries place greater emphasis on adopting environmentally responsible business practices, adding that CHP also contributes towards reducing carbon footprint. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is expected to increase its capital expenditure (capex), particularly in its transmission and distribution division, to accommodate technology companies’ setting up data centre facilities in the Klang Valley and Johor. In a note, Public Investment Bank Bhd (PIVB) said Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) is seen as the prime beneficiary in the telco space, and the thirst for more energy should lead to an unprecedented surge in TNB’s power demand. “We estimate that its partnership with Singtel to establish a greenfield data centre in Iskandar Puteri could potentially result in an earnings uplift of about 24% beyond the financial year 2026 (FY2026). “Hence, a higher tariff would be justifiable to capture adequate return on investment,” it said. PIVB noted that TNB is expected to roll out about RM90 billion in capex for 6 years until 2030 to support energy transition initiatives and system upgrades. It also said more infrastructure development such as power connectivity, internet exchange points, cable landing stations and fibre optic cables is expected to be laid to cater to the expanding information technology (IT) workloads. “Currently, the total IT load in Malaysia is estimated at about 900 megawatts (MW) in 2024, but this is expected to balloon to about 1,400MW by 2029, translating to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8%” it said. PIVB raised the target price (TP) on TNB to RM16 with an ‘outperform’ call from RM13 previously. The investment bank said other beneficiaries from the increased data centre investments in Malaysia include construction sector players such as Gamuda Bhd (TP: RM9.20) and IJM Corporation Bhd (RM4.20) for their track record in securing more data centre jobs. “Their next-generation industrial building system would help shorten the construction period as the speed of deployment is crucial to these data centre operators,” it said. PIVB added that key risks to its recommendation include competition from regional data centres, power and water scarcity, an oversupply condition in the domestic market, and environmental impact due to overconsumption of natural resources, as well as heat and wastewater generation. — BERNAMA

KUCHING: The Sarawak government is exploring various new technologies that can generate more renewable energy (RE) sources to achieve its target of producing 10GW of power by 2030. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state at present had an installed capacity of 5,700MW of power through a generation mix from hydro, coal and gas sources. “Within these 3 years, we want to upgrade to 10GW and my cabinet and I are going to the ground to explore various technologies that can generate RE in order to provide the required energy for all economic activities,” he said at that opening of Melexis Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s new building at the Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone. He added that at the current stage, Sarawak is experimenting with floating solar energy generation technology at the Batang Ai hydroelectric dam. He said this experiment covered just over 3% of the dam’s body of water to produce about 50MW of power and this could potentially be increased to 2,000MW should 60% of the waterbody be used. “With that sort of approach, we are trying at only one dam. We have 4 more dams (to go),” he said, referring to the Bakun, Murum, Baleh and Bengoh damns currently operating in Sarawak. — BERNAMA

SINGAPORE: Leading survey software firm, Milieu Insight, released major product enhancements that will further efforts to ease consumer research processes and community management for brands, all within a single platform. Launched at the end of last year, Canvas continues to add to its repertoire of industry-first innovations, including an improved visual survey builder, new panel and data integration features, and direct communication channels between brands and survey takers. Milieu Insight also announced that brands will now be able to connect with and manage consumers from 150 countries worldwide. The Canvas platform also comes with a full suite of features to clean, manage and analyse data. Its email and database cleaning capabilities ensure that surveys are sent only to valid email addresses, thereby improving completion rates, and its one-of-a-kind significance testing tool turns data into meaningful insights with just a click. The groundbreaking entrance of the Canvas visual editor last year was a first for the decades-old industry, which had long struggled to create a seamless user experience for survey creation. The Canvas dashboard challenges that by automating the survey-building process with its flow-based approach and comprehensive mapping capabilities. In the latest iteration, Milieu has expanded its platform’s survey design capabilities to include more question formats to meet clients’ diverse needs. The new addition of a consolidated list view, equipped with editing tools, gives users an overview of survey content and increases ease of navigation. Brands can even connect survey results on Canvas with a consumer profiling tool called Portraits within Milieu’s community, generating a wealth of insights from just a few questions, which provides access to thousands of consumer segments and millions of pre-collected data points across topics not limited to demographics, lifestyle and media consumption. This will significantly speed up brands’ research processes and empower them to make the most updated and informed decisions to drive business success. Milieu Insight currently boasts the largest active survey panel with over two million users in Southeast Asia. Now with the capabilities to generate external survey links and integrate external survey takers into their platform, brands are able to survey consumers from nearly anywhere in the world across 150 countries. Additionally, brands can connect their existing customer database to Canvas – think first-party data, mailing lists, and even social media following lists – through the addition of API integration feature and auto-punching of consumer data into surveys. Whether businesses are seeking to understand existing customers or broader consumer sentiments, Canvas streamlines data collection to reduce turnaround time, effort and costs. “Canvas will enhance the entire research supply chain, spanning from the launch of surveys to the creation of insightful reports. Soon, we will introduce Milieu Reports – a data visualisation tool that will empower clients to seamlessly create charts or infographics for their reports in seconds, to effectively communicate actionable insights to their stakeholders. “As generative AI technology advances, we are dedicated to automating the time-consuming and often tedious aspects of market research. Users can anticipate the launch of ‘Flash,’ an AI survey assistant ready to support survey design. Flash will be fully integrated into our visual editor, providing assistance throughout the entire survey design process as needed,” said Milieu Insight Founder and CEO Gerald Ang. “Whether users require initial survey question suggestions or assistance with designing specific questions and answer options, Flash will be on-demand, 24/7,” he added. Leading companies such as ONE Championship, Lazada, Logitech, Softbank Robotics, CIMB Philippines, Yahoo, CNBC Travel and True Corporation, have already leveraged Milieu’s survey and data analytics software to gain valuable consumer insights and make impactful and informed decisions. Social and non-profit organisations including AWARE, Caregiver Alliance, and the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) have also benefited from the platform’s robust capabilities.