Energy & Technology

KUALA LUMPUR: Cable and wire manufacturer Southern Cable Group Bhd secured a contract worth RM99.6 million from Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to supply underground cables and conductors of various sizes. This latest contract, awarded to Southern Cable’s wholly owned subsidiary Southern Cable Sdn Bhd, increases the total value of the group’s ongoing supply agreement with TNB to RM854.3 million. “We are committed to supporting TNB’s development initiatives through our cable and wire solutions that enable grid expansion, renewable energy integration and modernisation efforts,” Southern Cable Group Managing Director Tung Eng Hai said. With the latest contract, Southern Cable’s orders in hand now exceeds RM1 billion, providing strong revenue visibility until 2026. These orders encompass the supply of cables and wires, rectifier and battery systems as well as other related products. — BERNAMA

KUANTAN: The Pahang government aims to ensure all areas in the state will have access to 4G broadband coverage by the end of this year through the National Digital Network (JENDELA) initiative. State Communications and Multimedia, Youth, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisation Committee Chairman, Fadzli Mohamad Kamal said that the JENDELA 4G 1.0 project, aimed at improving Internet access in Pahang was scheduled for completion by June but faced delays due to certain constraints. “It is divided into 2 phases; the first involves tower construction, and the second aims to expand the communication network for the benefit of the people. I’ve already discussed this with the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which regulates the JENDELA project. “It was scheduled to be completed by the middle of this year, but due to some constraints such as land acquisition and coordination with stakeholders like the forest office and the Public Works Department (JKR), as well as awaiting approvals from the authorities,” he said. He said this to reporters after officiating the Pahang state-level Communication Infrastructure Planning Guidelines Implementation and Compliance Seminar (GPP-1) recently. Fadzli expressed confidence that the remaining 6 months would be enough time to complete the project and have it operational by the end of this year. “After this, our focus will be on JENDELA 2.0 and identifying areas that require communication towers,” he said. As of last March, 4G mobile coverage in populated areas of Pahang stood at 94.42%, compared to 89.10% before the implementation of JENDELA. Meanwhile, Fadzli said the seminar organised by the Pahang MCMC in collaboration with the State Secretary’s Office served as a platform for stakeholders to engage in dialogue, exchange ideas and find the best solutions for the development of communication infrastructure in the state. According to him, the seminar, which emphasises GPP-l compliance, aims to help state authorities, local authorities, developers, and stakeholders plan the implementation of communication infrastructure. “This is a strategic move to ensure that Pahang not only delivers high-quality infrastructure and meets established standards for the benefit of all stakeholders but also serves as a pivotal platform for the state’s economic development. “For this reason, the state government places a strong emphasis on developing a holistic, systematic and comprehensive communication infrastructure to ensure that high-speed broadband services are accessible to all residents across Pahang, including those in the interior areas,” he said. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: The Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd (EXIM Bank Malaysia) is the mandated lead arranger for a funding raising exercise of up to US$2.68 billion for an “ultra-supercritical” (USC) technology coal plant in Vietnam. It said the fundraising exercise will be co-led by one of Vietnam’s largest state banks, with more than 60% of the funds to be raised from 10 Vietnamese banks. “The project, which is aligned with the bank’s mandate to support Malaysian companies venturing overseas involves the development of the first USC technology coal plant in Vietnam, marking Malaysia’s significant role in ASEAN’s energy transition,” the bank said in a statement. EXIM Bank also noted that USC technology is at the forefront of the energy transition, offering substantial efficiency and environmental benefits, and aligns with Vietnam’s strategic energy transition plan to phase out less efficient traditional coal plants. The project has been in support of the country’s aim to reduce coal power reliance from 31.1% to 20% by 2030. “This project, to be undertaken by the BOT company, Song Hau Power 2 Company Ltd, will be constructed by an engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning consortium made up of Sunway Construction Sdn Bhd and Vietnam’s Power Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company 2 (PECC2),” it said. The project addresses the critical energy shortages in southern Vietnam, benefiting 36.24 million people facing continuous power shortages, according to the bank. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: India’s energy transition solutions provider, AM Green and a wholly owned subsidiary of SJVN Limited, SJVN Green Energy Limited (SGEL), have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a long-term agreement to supply and source renewable energy. According to AM Green, under the agreement signed on 26 June, SGEL will supply approximately 4,500 megawatts (MW) of carbon-free energy to AM Green’s upcoming green ammonia facilities. SGEL will set up this capacity through solar and wind power, while AM Green will integrate it with pumped hydro storage to ensure a steady supply of green energy to AM Green facilities. Greenko Group & AM Green Founder, Mahesh Kolli said the company is delighted to partner with SJVN on one of the world’s largest carbon-free, renewable energy supply contracts. “This partnership demonstrates AM Green’s emerging leadership position as a global clean energy transition solutions platform while contributing to India’s ambition of emerging as an exporter of reliable, sustainable and lowest-cost green molecules and its derivatives accelerating industrial decarbonisation globally,” he said. Meanwhile, SJVN Green Chief Executive Officer, Ajay Singh said: “We are elated to embark on this collaboration with AM Green, as it holds tremendous potential for accelerating the development of renewable assets in India. The project also marks SJVN’s foray into supplying power to private sector entities.” SJVN plans to execute the project in three phases, with the first phase delivering 1,500MW within 2 years. This initiative is a major milestone for SJVN’s renewable energy expansion in India, supporting its goal of reaching 25,000MW by 2030 and 50,000MW by 2040. AM Green, promoted by the founders of Greenko, targets to produce 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of green ammonia by 2030, equivalent to about 1 MTPA of green hydrogen. This represents a fifth of India’s target for green hydrogen production under the country’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and 10% of Europe’s target for green hydrogen imports by 2030. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: Clean energy expert Solarvest Holdings Bhd has partnered Taiwanese renewable energy player GreenRock Energy to accelerate the development of green energy solutions in Taiwan and Malaysia.   GreenRock Energy’s target is to achieve one gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy projects in the next years. Hence, the partnership is a milestone for the company. “Through this collaboration, GreenRock Energy anticipates to advance its regional expansion by leveraging Solarvest’s strengths in Malaysia and the Southeast Asia market, thereby driving the region’s energy transformation and sustainable development,” Solarvest said in a statement. “GreenRock Energy is optimistic about Malaysia’s green energy prospects and is committed to ‘lead the energy revolution in creating a low-carbon future’,” the statement said. The company, being the first Taiwanese enterprise to participate in the Malaysian government’s green energy projects, recognises Malaysia’s potential that aligns with the government’s goal of reaching 40% green energy by 2035. As of March 2024, Solarvest has achieved a 1.2GW project track record regionally, with 440MW of projects under construction and 348MW of solar assets, representing its leadership position and extensive regional experience. Solarvest provides comprehensive services, including solar development, design, applications, construction, operation, maintenance, and asset management. Besides Malaysia, Solarvest has developed renewable energy businesses in Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. It has collaborated with GreenRock Energy on large-scale agri-voltaic and aquavoltaic projects, targeting a total of 500MW projects in Taiwan. — BERNAMA

SUBANG JAYA: The digital economy is projected to contribute 25.5% to the gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of next year, up from the current 23%. Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo expressed optimism in surpassing this target, attributing it to the government’s comprehensive infrastructure preparations, including expanding internet access to facilitate broader online participation. “It will depend on how fast we adopt technology and how much we can do to improve our digital economy. I believe it’s an achievable goal,” he said. In his speech, Gobind said the fast-growing digital economy has enormous potential to elevate Malaysia’s standing in the global economy and drive national revenue. He urged other industry players to follow MYDIN’s lead in adapting to and integrating with current economic trends, thereby contributing to the advancement of the country’s digital economy. Meanwhile, MYDIN managing director Datuk Wira Dr Ameer Ali Mydin said the initiative underscores MYDIN’S readiness to embrace the digital era and reinforces the company’s commitment to the rapidly evolving fintech landscape. “With over six decades in the industry, we are committed to ensuring our loyal customers enjoy a seamless shopping experience through innovative business solutions. “This integration of advanced fintech solutions aims to set a new standard for retail convenience and digital engagement,” he said. To mark the launch, MYDINPay is offering an RM5 voucher for the first 1,000 early app users, and a 5% cashback for the initial 3,000 customers who spend RM150 or more using the app at any MYDIN branch. — BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: QL Resources Bhd’s subsidiary, Axrail, which is an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Tier Services Partner in Malaysia has opened a Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) Lab in Malaysia and Southwest Asia showcasing cloud and edge solutions to support the growing demand for AI solutions and the nation’s digital economy aspirations. The Gen AI Lab pools the expertise of AWS, Phison and Axrail in one collaborative hub and it showcases cutting-edge cloud solutions powered by AWS, including those built on Amazon Bedrock, alongside on-premise innovation with Phison’s innovative aiDAPTIV+ technology. “Gen AI Lab caters to the evolving needs of businesses seeking a fast-tracked and scalable path to AI adoption and positions Axrial at the forefront of delivering comprehensive, end-to-end generative AI solutions for both cloud and on-premise environments,” Axrail said. Its Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kelvin Kok said the company is looking at accelerating AI adoption, especially among Malaysian SMEs, leveraging the upcoming AWS region in Malaysia for data residency, low latency and robust cloud services across Southeast Asia. “This innovative sandbox will empower businesses to reimagine operations through AI, delivering measurable outcomes and future-proofing their approach,” he said. Meanwhile, Phison Electronics CEO Datuk KS Phua said the company, together with Axrail will also accelerate Malaysia’s AI digital transformation while providing the added assurance of data confidentiality. “In the future, Phison will continue working with Axrail to expand cooperation in storage and AI applications,” he added. Located within Axrail’s 3,000 sq ft Centre of Excellence for AI solutions, the Gen AI Lab fosters responsible experimentation and co-creation of generative AI applications. The Lab is designed to accelerate businesses’ AI readiness by helping them build capabilities to extract value from data and increase operational efficiency across various functions. — BERNAMA