KUALA LUMPUR – Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is keen to explore new opportunities involving energy solutions related to gas, solar, wind, and hydro as well as battery storage in Nusantara, Indonesia’s future capital in East Kalimantan.
TNB said in a statement it is also eager to explore any opportunities in the grid interconnection business through collaboration with Indonesia’s PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) to develop a secure and reliable high-voltage transmission infrastructure in the planned city.
The utility company recently handed over a letter of intent (LOI) to Nusantara Authority chairman Bambang Susantono through International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Baharin Din said the LOI would help strengthen both countries’ bilateral relations and cooperation, and expedite their clean energy development.
The LOI was handed over in a ceremony held last Sunday in Jakarta that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim witnessed.
At the ceremony, Baharin also handed over another LOI to PLN transmission and system planning director Evy Haryadi to review a previous memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on pursuing responsible energy transition in line with both energy corporations’ sustainability commitments.
Stating that there are a lot of commonalities between both corporations, he said that “both TNB and PLN will mutually benefit from this sharing of expertise and experience in facing the challenges of the energy transition”.
Baharin said TNB proposes to review the MOU to allow both utility providers to revive the exploratory study for the development of a high-voltage interconnection facility between Sumatera, Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia.
“The interconnection between Sumatera and Peninsular Malaysia is part of the Asean power grid.
“Once this project is completed, Asean countries will be able to share renewable energy generation resources, participate in multilateral power trading and provide regional energy security,” he said. – Bernama, January 13, 2023