THE Penang government will outline a guideline to facilitate the investors’ interest in solar farming.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the guideline would be important for business owners or investors, especially when a solar farm is set up on agricultural land.
“The conversion process will be exempted and it saves cost as well.
“In Penang, we are working with Penang Green Council (PGC) to achieve the green agenda.
“We are also actively working with various stakeholders to realise our goal.
“We hope more industry players will join us in this journey,” he said after attending the TNB Green Electricity Tariff (GET) award ceremony at Lumileds Plant 2 site in Bayan Lepas today.
Two Lumileds Malaysia Sdn Bhd manufacturing sites in Bayan Lepas have been fully transitioned, utilising renewable electricity beginning March 18 this year.
Chow, who was the guest of honour at the event, recognised Lumileds’ effort in fully powering its manufacturing plants with renewable energy.
“This effort is made possible following Lumileds’ subscription of 5.4 million kilowatt-hours per month of GET offered by TNB.
“The company is expected to reduce emissions by more than 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide yearly.
“Sustainability has always been the state’s utmost priority and the company’s subscription to this programme has certainly demonstrated its commitment to the green economy.
“Green economy is pivotal for us to elevate our resilience against future uncertainties,” Chow said.
Chow praised Lumileds’ commitment to achieving a sustainable ecosystem.
The company’s chief executive officer (CEO) Matt Roney lauded the significant move, which is in line with the country’s vision to accelerate the development of renewable energy.
“We are committed to taking an urgent action to combat climate change by developing energy-efficient LED lighting solutions and our ongoing commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (CHG) emissions in our operation.
“Adopting the TNB GET at our manufacturing sites is an important milestone for our sustainability journey and corresponds to a greater than 40% reduction of our carbon footprint.
“This project has an important impact on our facilities here. We are part of a global value chain providing products to consumers in a sustainable manner.
“We are proud to contribute to the state’s vision as well as to emphasise the development of renewable energy.
“We look forward to continuing working together with our key stakeholders in the state for a sustainable and resilient society,” he said.
Roney also looked forward to the installation of rooftop solar arrays at the company’s buildings.
“This will enable us to have an on-site generation of renewable energy,” he said.
On whether the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the company’s sustainability journey, Roney pointed out that the pandemic has strengthened its resilience to manage any extreme event.
TNB chief retail officer Datuk Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan applauded Lumileds’ initiative.
“Since GET was available in December last year, the response has been overwhelming.
“The allocated 4,500,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) quota was fully subscribed in four months. The majority of them were taken up by the industrial sector at 61%, including Lumileds.
“Penang has the highest subscription, which is almost 36% out of the total GET subscriptions nationwide,” he said.
Among those present were state Entrepreneurial Development, Trade and Industry Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain and InvestPenang chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Loo Lee Lian.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud
Video by Muhamad Amir Irsyad Omar