THIRTEEN large-scale solar projects have been approved under the PETRA 5+ programme, including one of Malaysia’s largest floating solar power plants, as the country intensifies its transition towards a low-carbon energy future.
The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) confirmed that the projects, with a combined capacity of 1,975MWac, were selected through a competitive bidding process launched earlier this year under the Large-Scale Solar – Peralihan Tenaga SuRiA Fifth Round Plus (LSS PETRA 5+).
The open bidding process, conducted by the Energy Commission, offered a total quota of 2,000MWac across two packages:
Package 1 was allocated 1,500MWac for the development of ground-mounted solar plants with capacities between 30MWac and 500MWac. This category was open to companies with a minimum 51 percent local ownership.
Package 2 allocated 500MWac for floating solar plants on bodies of water, with capacities ranging from 10MWac to 500MWac, also requiring at least 51 percent local ownership.
The call for proposals received overwhelming interest, with 37 applications submitted, totalling 4,073MW in proposed capacity—more than twice the quota offered.
Following comprehensive evaluation, 13 proposals were found to have met all requirements and were awarded a total capacity of 1,975MWac—the largest ever approved under the LSS programme since its inception in 2016.
To date, a total of 4,263MWac has been approved through the various rounds of the LSS initiative, which has been credited with nurturing a pool of capable local solar developers and driving down electricity tariffs through competitive bidding.
According to PETRA, this new round of approved solar projects is expected to generate RM6 billion in investment and create approximately 12,000 jobs within the renewable energy sector.
These solar power plants are scheduled to begin operations in 2027 and 2028. Among them is a floating solar plant with a capacity of 200MWac, which will rank among the country’s largest of its kind.
The Energy Commission is expected to release further details on the bidding outcomes in due course.
PETRA expressed confidence that the implementation of these projects will significantly contribute to Malaysia’s national energy transition goals, particularly the target of achieving a 70 percent renewable energy capacity mix in the power sector by 2050.
This aligns with the ministry’s broader commitment to decarbonising the electricity supply in accordance with the principles of the Malaysia MADANI sustainability agenda. - Sept 2, 2025
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