Kuala lumpur: The government will continue efforts to increase the capacity of renewable energy (RE) within the national electricity supply system, according to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA). This includes introducing the implementation of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to stabilize the grid and raise the RE capacity mix to 70 percent of the national electricity supply by 2050, said the ministry on the Parliament website on Monday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, PETRA stated that the expansion of RE capacity and the strengthening of the grid system and network are expected to involve capital expenditure (capex), which will need to be financed either through system development costs or user tariffs. The ministry emphasized that to ensure electricity prices remain affordable for domestic and industrial users, the energy transition will be carried out in a planned manner. RE programs will prioritize the ’causer pay’ principle or be implemented via bidding mechanisms to minimize the impact of sudden electricity tariff increases on the general public.

This approach is seen as crucial to maintaining the balance of the energy trilemma, which includes reliability, sustainability, and affordability for consumers, according to PETRA. The ministry was responding to Datuk Abdul Khalib Abdullah (PN-Rompin), who asked about the current status and key challenges in implementing large-scale RE projects, particularly in ensuring the stability of the national grid and the affordability of electricity for domestic and industrial users.

PETRA revealed that to date, a total of 332 large-scale RE projects with a combined capacity of 5,894 megawatts (MW) have been approved. Of that number, 188 projects with a capacity of 2,564MW are already operational. PETRA noted that one of the main challenges in implementing large-scale RE projects is the ability of the grid network to accommodate increased generation that is distributed and intermittent in nature.

To address this issue, the ministry stated that the planning of RE capacity integration is carried out carefully through the Electricity Supply and Tariff Planning and Implementation Committee (JPPPET). With RE capacity determined based on ongoing efforts to upgrade the system and grid infrastructure, PETRA assured that RE generation can be integrated effectively without system constraints.