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our carbon dioxide into useful products and
chemicals,” he said at the company’s annual
general meeting.
In a conventional refinery, three products
(petrol, diesel and ATF) comprise 60-70 per
cent of the product slate. As refiners increase
in size and have access to more capital, they
come up with complex projects like delayed
coker (or petcoke gasifier). This converts low-
value products into high-value products.

SOL AR
Malaysia bets on large

scale solar PV to revive

economy

Malaysia’s Large Scale Solar (LSS) programme
has entered its fourth round of auctions and
according to research firm GlobalData is
expected to play a significant role in restarting
the country’s investment flow and post- almost 12,000 employment opportunities. Thailand’s KBS delays
pandemic recovery. This is expected to stimulate the economy and
The Ministry of Energy and Natural help the nation propel through the existent biomass plant, but still
Resources (KeTSA) of Malaysia launched stagnancy.”
the 1GW tender programme to boost the keen on IPO
country’s economic performance.
The programme’s fourth round of auctions SET-listed Khonburi Sugar (KBS) is delaying
termed as LSS-4, offers the largest capacity in SOL AR the commercial operation of its new biomass-
the series and is expected to boost COVID-19 fired power plant in Nakhon Ratchasima
economic recovery efforts of the government. China’s Trina Solar because of the impact of the pandemic,
Somik Das, Senior Power Analyst at but plans to launch a 2.8-billion-baht
GlobalData, comments: “Taking into launches two 600 Watt infrastructure fund early next month to fuel
consideration the effects of the COVID-19, investment expansion plans.
Malaysia’s cumulative solar PV capacity is solar panels Travel restrictions as a result of the
expected to grow by 8.0% to about 1.1GW in outbreak made the company unable to import
2020. The step is considered as a growth shot China’s Trina Solar on Monday said it has construction materials and barred foreign
of an ailing economy to fight the COVID-19 launched two 600 Watt Vertex series solar engineers from coming to Thailand.
contraction.” panels. Experts from Tokyo-based Mitsui &
In the first round of the LSS in 2016, the This represents a further increase in power Co were hired to design and oversee the
government allocated 250MW in the country. from the 500W+ modules the firm launched construction, earlier expected to be completed
In the second tender in 2017, 360MW was earlier in the year, Trina Solar said in a press by this year.
allocated in the peninsula and 100MW across release. “The new renewable power plant faces
Sabah and the islands of Labuan. The third “By virtue of low-voltage and high-module a delay,” said KBS executive director Issara
tender went undersubscribed by 10MW, string power output, the new Vertex series Twiltermsup.
where bids for 490MW were lodged. The unlocks huge potential for further reducing “KBS has no expectation as to when the
government has high hopes from the fourth balance-of-system costs. The modules will plant will be completed.”
round especially considering the current help reduce the levelised cost of energy across The new plant is capable of processing
scenario and its impacts on the economy. various applications and maximise customer 12,000 tonnes of sugar cane per day and
Across major Asia-Pacific countries, the value,” said Zhang Yingbin, head of product includes an 18-megawatt power plant in
Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) for strategy and value management at Trina Solar. Nakhon Ratchasima’s Sikhiu district.
renewables remains significantly higher The company also expects mass production While the pandemic has slowed down
compared to coal power plants. This is of its 550 Watt series later this year. the new development project, the company
expected to decrease if not vanish in the next continues to see revenue growth by trading
eight to nine years. electricity and steam the past three years, Mr
Das concludes: “In Malaysia, the decrease Issara said.
in the LCOE from $88/MWh is expected to BIOMASS Subsidiary Khonburi Power Plant is
greatly benefit the local bidders. Besides, the running a power plant, fuelled mainly by
LSS-4 provides the opportunity of creating bagasse, in Sikhiu district.

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 29 22•July•2020