KEDAH SOLAR PLANT PROJECT ON TRACK

It is expected to come online by early 2018, says Edra

KUALA LUMPUR

INDEPENDENT power producer (IPP) Edra Power Holdings Sdn Bhd (Edra) is on track to build its pilot large-scale solar photovoltaic plant in Kedah by early 2018.

Project Kedah Solar will be undertaken by Edra’s wholly-owned unit, Edra Solar Sdn Bhd while the solar plant will have a generating capacity of 50 megawatts (MW).

“The Kedah solar plant is expected to generate approximately 80,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year and will be developed over 104ha in Bandar Kuala Ketil, Kedah,” said Edra president and executive director Datuk Mark Ling yesterday.

He said the development of the solar plant would turn former agricultural land in Kuala Ketil into an industrial site, thus creating a significant positive impact on the state’s economic growth.

Project Kedah Solar is to be developed by Edra pursuant to a conditional award from the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry.

Edra Solar entered into a land sales and purchase (SPA) agreement in August 2015 with BDB Land Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Bina Darulaman Bhd (BDB), for the acquisition of the land parcel.

Ling said as a Malaysian-based power producer, it was committed to developing the local power sector, including the renewable energy sector.

To this end, said Ling, Edra would create skilled jobs for Malaysians through Project Kedah Solar during the construction, operation and maintenance of the project, adding that engineers, operational and management team would comprise predominantly locals.

Given its significance, said Ling, the Kedah government had extended strong its support to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.

Generating electricity via solar would prevent 36,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, thereby supporting the government’s initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

Going forward, said Ling, Edra hoped to further explore working with BDB and the Kedah government to identify potential sites from its current and future landbank, for the development of new solar farms in the state that would contribute to the government’s green programme.

Edra is one of Southeast Asia’s leading IPPs, controlling a diversified portfolio of power generation assets across a range of technologies.

The group has a portfolio of 13 power and desalination plants in Malaysia, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, with a total net generating capacity of 5,529MW and a water desalination capacity of 16 million imperial gallons per day.

Edra is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China General Nuclear Power Corp, a leading global nuclear energy company with investments in more than 25 gigawatts of clean and renewable energy projects, including wind, solar and hydro. Bernama

MWh of electricity expected to be generated

per year

Tonnes of carbon emissions prevented via solar power generation