Malaysia's 460 MW solar tender attracts 1.6 GW bids
The Energy Commission of Malaysia (EC) has received over 1,640 MW of submissions in the second competitive bid process for large scale PV projects in the country.
The solar capacity will be located in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah/Labuan region. For Peninsular Malaysia, the capacity tendered was a total of 360 MW, but 1,442 MW of projects were submitted, including nearly 1,200 MW of 10-30 MW projects, 172 MW of 6-10 MW projects and 72 MW of 1-6 MW projects.
In the Sabah/Labuan area, an aggregate of 100 MW was offered with bidders submitting a total capacity of 190 MW.
The lowest bid received was MYR339.8 (US$ 79.1) per MWh for a 30-MW solar project located in the peninsula. The highest bids were for 5-MW and 2-MW projects with a price of MYR530 (US$123.5) per MWh.
This is the second competitive bidding program in this segment. In January 2017, in the first large scale PV auction EC awarded 450 MW of capacity when the total capacity announced was 250 MW.
All photovoltaic projects will be hooked to the grid and the energy output sold to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) or Sabah Electricity Sdn. Bhd., under a solar PPA.
The total solar capacity is scheduled to be commissioned by 2019-2020.
The Energy Commission of Malaysia will now shortlist bidders based on the RFP requirements. Each bidder can offer up to three plants.
The bids document is availablel here.
As we reported in early March, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), signed two Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for two 50 MW solar projects, with two special purpose companies (SPCs), UITM Solar Power Sdn Bhd and TNB Sepang Solar Sdn Bhd.
UITM Solar Power is set up by the consortium of UITM Property Management Sdn Bhd, BJ Power Co Ltd and Perwira Al-Syura Consulting Engineers Sdn Bhd, while TNB Sepang Solar was set up by TNB itself.
TNB and the consortium are among the seven successful bidders of large-scale solar (LSS) competitive bidding exercise organized by the Energy Commission (Suruhanjaya Tenaga) last year to develop the LSS projects.
We have lately informed about other solar projects in Malaysia:
