By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 10: The Sarawak government, through the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication, has formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Three Gorges International Ltd (CGTI) and Shanghai Electric Power T&D Group Co. Ltd at the 2025 International Solar Photovoltaic and Smart Energy Conference (SNEC PV Expo) in Shanghai, China, today.
According to the press release, the MoU sets the framework for all three parties to jointly undertake various studies and collaborate to explore the potential development of floating solar, with a capacity not exceeding 1,000MW, on the reservoir of the Bakun Hydroelectric Plant (HEP).
The signatories of the MoU were Datu Jafri Lias, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak; Zhang Kai Hong, Vice President for China Three Gorges International Limited; and Yang Xing Hai, Vice President for Shanghai Electric Power T&D Group Co. Ltd.
Deputy Minister for Utility (Sarawak Energy and Petros) and Chairman of Sarawak Energy, Dato Ibrahim Baki, represented Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, at the signing ceremony, where he witnessed the signing together with Gong Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, along with other dignitaries.
Also present was a delegation from Sarawak Energy, led by its Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Datuk Sharbini Suhaili.
Delivering the Premier’s keynote address at the event, Ibrahim said: “Sarawak is pleased to forge this strategic alliance with strong industry partners like CTGI and Shanghai Electric, as it supports our aim of ensuring energy security and environmental sustainability.
“Sarawak currently has a generation capacity of about 5,900MW, predominantly from renewable hydropower sources. By 2030, Sarawak aims to achieve a 10GW generation capacity, with a target of 15GW by 2035, where renewable sources are expected to make up over 60 per cent of the capacity mix.
“With its vast renewable energy resources, Sarawak has the potential to become a renewable energy powerhouse of the region.”
The keynote further outlined Sarawak’s progressive renewable energy policies that are accelerating the State’s energy transition.
Recent amendments to the Electricity Ordinance in 2023 further underscore Sarawak’s commitment to decarbonisation, with enabling provisions for large-scale solar development, consumer-generated electricity, and independent power producer participation.
Highlighting Sarawak’s growing focus on solar energy, the Premier’s address presented the State’s approach, which includes solar-hybrid rural electrification, hydrogen-integrated solar systems, and the Net Energy Metering (NEM) scheme to support solar adoption in housing developments.
Sarawak successfully generated power from its first large-scale solar installation at the Batang Ai HEP in December 2024.
The 50MW floating solar farm, spanning over 190 hectares of the Batang Ai reservoir, also marks Sarawak’s first integrated hydroelectric and solar power scheme.
He added that this initiative would pave the way for further development of floating solar in Sarawak at other hydropower reservoirs through privately funded investments.
The MOU signing was held in conjunction with the SNEC PV+ 18th International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition, which took place from June 10 to 13 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai, China.
The event is recognised as the world’s largest and most influential PV trade show, attracting over 3,000 exhibitors from 95 countries. — DayakDaily
