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Sunday, December 29, 2013

SEDA Malaysia: Palm Oil Mill Field Trip

    
I have blogged about a field trip by SEDA Malaysia to Fortune 11 Solar Farm in Sepang Selangor and as promised, I will write about Labu Palm Oil Mill in this blog post. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Palm Oil Mill Technology Center (POMTEC) is built in Labu, Negeri Sembilan using a grant provided by the government to spearhead research on all aspects of palm oil milling technology. As Malaysia forges ahead with its plan to become a fully developed nation, there is an increasing awareness on the need for palm oil mills to modernize. The day-to-day operation of this mill is managed by Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad, allowing MPOB to focus mainly on its efforts on research and development (R&D) area.
    To ensure a commercially viable operation, the mill incorporates proven technology with adequate space and other provisions to facilitate research. Many innovative and state-of-the-art features are incorporated into the initial design to make this mill the “model mill” for the palm oil industry in Malaysia. Here, we can see a clear example on how a corporate sector work hand in hand with MPOB to conduct research regarding the use of biomass and biogas in generating alternative electricity in Malaysia by making full use of abundance of resources in the country.
    POMTEC is built to provide a test pad for research and development of the cutting-edge technologies required for tomorrow’s palm oil mill. It helps demonstrates the application of new concepts and techniques in palm oil mills to cope with new problems and challenges in its operation. This mill also provides training facilities for palm oil mill personnel on all aspects of new and up-to-date palm oil milling technology. Before we do deeper into this matter, I would like to refresh your mind about biomass and biogas resources in producing renewable energy.
    Biomass on one hand is non-fossilized and bio-degradable organic material originating from indigenous plants, animals and microorganism that are obtained through its products, by-products, residues and waste from agriculture, industrial and municipal waste originating from Malaysia. Biogas, on the other hand is gas produced by anaerobic digestion or fermentation of indigenous organic matter under anaerobic conditions including manure, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste and biodegradable waste originating from Malaysia. In both cases, these waste materials are gathered from palm oil fields owned by Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad and they are gathered at this mill for further process. You can click this link if you want to review the terms mentioned in this blog post.
    Current research programs in POMTEC include trash removal, continuous sterilization, plant-wide automation, new boiler technology, phenolic pilot plant, empty fruit bunch processing plant, new effluent treatment technology and new environmentally-friendly clarification process. These programs are crucial in the R&D of the mill to ensure that the programs are applicable for other proposed mills in the country. The bloggers were very lucky on that day because we were given explanation regarding the operations of the mill by the officer in-charge. We were given a tour around the facility to witness by ourselves how the mill works and therefore we were clear about the electricity generation process.
    Ronser Bio-Tech Sdn. Bhd. signed a R&D Collaboration Agreement with Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) on 14th August 2009 to work towards a zero discharge treatment technology for palm oil mill effluent (POME). A plant called Green Technology Centre has been set up here as the research centre in Malaysia. Ronser is the world’s leading technology in POME treatment system, up to zero discharge because the biogas generated on the basis of 1 ton POME will generate up to 30 m cubic of biogas which can be used for boiler and generation of electricity. Besides, the organic sludge recovered contains potassium which is an important element in improving the soil condition. As a result, the sludge itself acts as a fertilizer to the soil for planting. For more information on Ronser Bio-Tech Sdn. Bhd. you can always visit their website at www.ronser.com.my.
    However, why is the rush with renewable energy resources in Malaysia when we can still depend on fossil fuels? Well, renewable energy and sustainable measures are important to the country because of depleting fossil fuel sources. Crude oil can last for about 11.8 years and natural gas can suffice up to another 39.4 years in Malaysia. The availability of energy is important in any country’s economy thus energy security is a very important issue which must be managed well. SEDA Malaysia is the implementer of Feed-in Tariff program for development of renewable energy in Malaysia. By joining this program, public and private sectors can join to produce electric at their homes or private buildings and sell it to Distribution Licensees (DLs) for a great price. But, how is that possible?
    Malaysia’s Feed-in Tariff system requires the Distribution Licensees (DLs) such as Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to buy from renewable energy producers the electricity produced by them. SEDA Malaysia sets the FiT rates with approval from KeTTHA for the producers and it will pay for the renewable energy supplied to the electricity grid for a specific duration. By having access to the grid and setting a favorable price per unit of renewable energy, the FiT mechanism also ensures that renewable energy becomes a viable and sound long-term investment for companies industries and individuals. This can happen very easily if consumers are registered under SEDA Malaysia as one of the producers of renewable energy through solar panels, small hydro power, biomass and biogas at their homes or private lands.
www.seda.gov.my
    The Cabinet has also agreed for the 1% surcharge on consumers’ electricity bills that has been gazetted and collected from consumers. This 1% surcharge is needed to achieve the target capacity of renewable energy in the long run. As of 2013, 1% surcharge is still imposed on all electricity customers and domestic electricity consumers are only obliged to contribute if their monthly electricity consumption exceeds 300 kWh or RM 77 a month. This money is channeled into the Renewable Energy Fund and administered by SEDA Malaysia to pay the premium Feed-in Tariff rate to those producers who generate electricity at homes or in industrial companies. But as of January 2014, this tariff will increase by 0.6% to be 1.6 % for current electricity users. This increase will also affect the consumers in Sabah and Wilayah Persekutuan Sabah as they are charged with 1.6% of their electricity bills for the first time. Please refer to www.seda.gov.my for more news and information.
Alright, that is all for today and I will be back with more stories to share to all of you soon. Thank you for your time in reading this and hopefully I have given some sufficient information as a food for thought here. Hopefully we will all benefit for this increase of surcharge in the long run because we really need to move toward greener and alternative source of energy. Take care and God bless, and please use energy efficiently.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

SEDA Malaysia: Fortune 11 Solar Farm Field Trip

On 7th December 2013, bloggers were invited by SEDA Malaysia to join a truly interesting field trip to Fortune 11 solar farm in Sepang, Selangor. The solar project is owned and developed by Fortune 11 Sdn. Bhd. and it is regarded as Malaysia’s first solar farm with single-axis system. The project prime contractor is SunEdison (MALAYSIA) Solar Engineering Sdn. Bhd. and it is a 5 MWp Single Axis tracker project in an area of 36 acres in an oil palm plantation under lease from Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn. Bhd. The project area is in the Sepang district of Selangor state in Malaysia under the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme.

At this solar farm, solar photovoltaic (PV) modules are mounted on a tracker system that tracks the movement of the sun from sunrise to sunset. This tracking system can help maximise the generation of energy from the solar cells throughout the day as compared to the static solar PVs. For your information, photovoltaic (PV) literally means “light” and “electric”. Photovoltaic technologies are used to generate solar electricity by using solar cells packaged in photovoltaic modules. The most important components of a PV cell are the two layers of semiconductor material. When sunlight strikes the PV cells, the solar energy excites electrons that generate an electric voltage and current. Extremely thin wires running along the top layer of the PV cell carry these electrons to an electrical circuit.
A photovoltaic module is made of an assembly of solar cells wired in series to produce a desired voltage and current. The PV cells are encapsulated within glass and/or plastic to provide protection from the weather. PV modules are connected together to form an array and it is connected to an inverter which converts the Direct Current (DC) of the PV modules to Alternating Current (AC). As mentioned earlier, a solar tracker is fixed at a specific angle and moves from east to west as the sun moves across the sky during the day. The solar panel mounted onto such tracker will get maximum amount of sunlight and it will be able to generate a higher amount of energy.
Since the sun’s position in the sky varies with the season as well, it is possible to design a solar tracker to adjust the angle throughout the year so that solar light is always perpendicular to the surface. The area of shadow as the sun moves through the seasons will necessitate each tracker to be located farther apart so that the total land area required to install 1 MWp is much larger than of the fixed mount or single axis tracker. To keep it simple, imagine the solar panels moves according to the sun movement everyday in order to collect as much energy to be converted to electricity.
SunEdison uses many types of solar panels and the company selects the right technologies that provide most reliability and value. The “technology neutral” approach by SunEdison meets its’ customers’ financial, power production and facility needs because the tracker system harvests more energy than the fixed tilt project. Besides, SunEdison employs more than 100 workers during construction and about 20 direct employments during operations and maintenance stage. In addition, the company generates about 7615 MWhr of green energy annually with CO2 emission saving of about 5254350 kg per year. That amount is a lot and totally benefiting the community and our country in the long run. The location of the project in Sepang Selangor is also significant because the solar panels can be seen from the sky if you are in an airplane. This gives a message to visitors that Malaysia is moving towards green energy and therefore prepared to shift towards a better future.
 SEDA Malaysia is fact the implementer of the Feed-in Tariff program for development of Renewable Energy in Malaysia. To understand the contribution of solar panels in generating alternative electricity, you must also recognize the role of SEDA Malaysia in implementing the Feed-in Tariff mechanism. Malaysia's Feed-in Tariff (FiT) system obligates the Distribution Licensees (DLs) such as Tenaga Nasional Berhad to buy from renewable energy producers the electricity produced from renewable resources (renewable energy). SEDA Malaysia also sets the FiT rates with approval from KeTTHA. Under the law the DLs will pay for renewable energy supplied to the electricity grid for a specific duration. By guaranteeing access to the grid and setting a favourable price per unit of renewable energy, the FiT mechanism would ensure that renewable energy becomes a viable and sound long-term investment for company industries and also for individuals.
The Cabinet has also agreed for the 1% surcharge on consumers’ electricity bills that has been gazetted and collected from consumers. This 1% surcharge is needed to achieve the target capacity of renewable energy in the long run. As of 2013, 1% surcharge is still imposed on all electricity customers and domestic electricity consumers are only obliged to contribute if their monthly electricity consumption exceeds 300 kWh or RM 77 a month. This money is channelled into the Renewable Energy Fund and administered by SEDA Malaysia to pay the premium Feed-in Tariff rate to those producers who generate electricity at homes or in industrial companies. But as of January 2014, this tariff will increase by 0.6% to be 1.6 % for current electricity users. This increase will also affect the consumers in Sabah and Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan as they are charged with 1.6% of their electricity bills for the first time. Please refer to www.seda.gov.my for more news and information.
Alright, that is all for today. I will continue my blog post about another field trip by SEDA Malaysia to the MPOB Palm Oil Mill Technology Center (POMTEC) in Labu Negeri Sembilan. I will provide another explanation about the role of biomass and biogas in producing alternative electricity and how it is done by a corporate sector. Take care and God bless, and use energy efficiently!

Friday, December 27, 2013

SEDA Malaysia: ISES 2014

The 2nd International Sustainable Energy Summit (ISES 2014) will be held at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Petaling Jaya, Selangor this 18-19 March 2014. This summit is organized by Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (SEDA Malaysia) and supported by the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) Malaysia. This biennial event targets to update on the industry development and promote awareness to the various stakeholders as well as the public on sustainable energy. This summit can provide platform for the exchange of sustainable energy information and network opportunities. It was gloriously held in 2012 and now is time for the second summit to facilitate better growth of sustainable energy measures in Malaysia.
ISES 2012
The theme for ISES 2014 is “Currency of Autonomy: Sustainable Energy” in line with SEDA Malaysia’s vision to promote the deployment of sustainable energy measures as part of the solution towards achieving energy security and autonomy. This theme reflects the unpredictable global scenario of energy prices, the reducing supply of fossil fuels and environmental costs of these fuels to the surrounding. It is a great timing for Malaysia to transform its current energy landscape to include sustainable energy in their energy portfolio. Throughout this summit, case studies, lesson learned, new invention, innovative strategies and practical solutions will be presented by renowned speakers from all over the world to enhance participant’s knowledge. This sharing of idea is crucial to the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency industry particularly in Malaysia.
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SEDA Malaysia will provide updates on the latest development of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the country with respect to the legal framework and the implementation. Other notable topics presented include green financing, renewable energy and energy efficiency that are anticipated to be a holistic solution to energy requirement globally. Among the speakers and their topics are Julia Hamm, Executive Director of Solar Electric Power Association, USA with the title “Business Models on Solar PV Plants on Utility Scale” and Sunil Gupta, Global Head of Technology & Clean Tech Banking, Standard Chartered Bank Singapore with his topic, “Developing Bankable Renewable Energy Projects”. Visit www.ises.gov.my for full list of speakers and their topics for the energy summit.
ISES 2012
The table below is the list of conference fee for those interested, be it public or industry players who are concerned with the sharing of knowledge regarding renewable energy and energy efficiency matters:
Throughout this summit, organisations related to renewable energy and energy efficiency will showcase their products and services. ISES 2012 that was held two years ago attracted more than 30 companies from Malaysia and abroad and it has provided ample opportunities for them to promote and enhance their presence in the Malaysian market. 
mapz sunway
Map to Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa
For public or private companies that are interested in installing solar PV modules, small hydro, biogas or biomass to generate electricity in the Feed-in Tariff mechanism, this is the perfect time for you to gain new input regarding the procedures involved. You can visit the exhibition space because service providers and SEDA Malaysia will definitely help to service you. If you want to know more about ISES 2014, please contact the secretariat at the address below:

ISES 2014 Secretariat
Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (SEDA Malaysia)
Galeria PjH,
Level 9, Jalan P4W,
Persiaran Perdana, Presint 4,
62100 Putrajaya, Malaysia.
You can also call these numbers for details:
Office: (+603) 8870 5835
Mobile: (+6013) 2100 617
Fax: (+603) 8870 5900
       Ises14.seda@gmail.com
Website : www.ises.gov.my

About SEDA Malaysia, the organizer.
SEDA Malaysia is the implementer of Feed-in Tariff program for development of Renewable Energy in Malaysia. Malaysia's Feed-in Tariff (FiT) system obligates the Distribution Licensees (DLs) such as TNB to buy from renewable energy producers the electricity produced from renewable resources (renewable energy) and sets the FiT rates. Under the law the DLs will pay for renewable energy supplied to the electricity grid for a specific duration. By guaranteeing access to the grid and setting a favourable price per unit of renewable energy, the FiT mechanism would ensure that renewable energy becomes a viable and sound long-term investment for company industries and also for individuals.

The Cabinet has also agreed for the 1% surcharge on consumers’ electricity bills that has been gazetted and collected from consumers. This 1% surcharge is needed to achieve the target capacity of renewable energy in the long run. As of 2013, 1% surcharge is still imposed on customers if their monthly electricity consumption exceeds 300 kWh or RM 77 a month. This money is channelled into the Renewable Energy Fund and administered by SEDA Malaysia to pay the premium Feed-in Tariff rate to those producers who generate electricity at homes or in industrial companies. But as of January 2014, this tariff will increase by 0.6% to be 1.6 % for current electricity users. This increase will also affect the consumers in Sabah as they are charged with 1.6% of their electricity bills for the first time. Please refer to www.seda.gov.my for more details and information.
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www.seda.gov.my
Thank you for your time in reading this, I will see you at the 2nd International Sustainable Energy Summit (ISES 2024) at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Petaling Jaya on the 18-19 March 2014. I want to know more about renewable energy and energy efficiency measures taken by foreign countries and together help Malaysia achieve energy autonomy and security in the long run. Take care and God bless, see you there!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

SEDA Malaysia: December Announcement

Fail:KETTHA Logo.jpg
KeTTHA's website

On Monday, 2nd December 2013, The Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) has announced the adjustment of the surcharge on electricity bill for the Renewable Energy Fund from 1% to 1.6% starting January 2014. This review of electricity tariffs also affects Sabah consumers for the first time as they are imposed with 1.6% of surcharge in the electricity bills and it becomes shocking to most people out there. However, do all of you realize the rationale behind the review of electricity bills in Malaysia and its importance in the long run? Allow me to explain the small steps that have been taken to ensure a better future for our younger generation in Malaysia.

As we are all aware, 90% of Malaysia’s supply of electricity is generated by fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. At the same time, these sources are also identified as major causes of global warming that changes climate throughout the globe. It causes flood, drought, hurricane and many other natural disasters that threaten the lives of human beings, animals and our mother earth. Besides, the depletion of fossil fuels in many parts of the world causes fuel hike that together constraint the lives of the earth’s citizen day by day. It is time for us to shift to a greener, much more efficient alternative source of energy. The Government of Malaysia has initiated an aggressive implementation of renewable energy resources such as solar, biomass, biogas and small hydro power to generate alternative electricity in Malaysia.
www.seda.gov.my
The importance of the renewable energy sector in Malaysia has been recognized since the Eight Malaysia Plan when the Five Fuel Policy was introduced in 2001 to include alternative sources of energy in our daily consumption. The development of renewable energy in Malaysia were a bit slow given the fact that it took so many years before it was actually implemented in the national level. In 2011, Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) Malaysia is finally formed under the Sustainable Energy Development Authority Act 2011 [Act 726]. SEDA Malaysia becomes the implementer of the Feed-in Tariff program for the development of Renewable Energy in Malaysia.
www.seda.gov.my
However, how does the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) system works? For your information, Malaysia’s Feed-in Tariff system requires the Distribution Licensees (DLs) such as Tenaga Nasional Berhad to buy from renewable energy producers the electricity produced by them. FiT rates are set by SEDA Malaysia with approval from KeTTHA to pay for the renewable energy supplied to the electricity grid for a specific duration. By having access to the grid and setting a favourable price per unit of renewable energy, the FiT mechanism also ensures that renewable energy becomes a viable and sound long-term investment for companies industries and individuals. This can happen very easily if consumers are registered under SEDA Malaysia as one of the producers of renewable energy through solar panels, small hydro power, biomass and biogas at their homes or private lands.
www.seda.gov.my
The Cabinet has also agreed for the 1% surcharge on consumers’ electricity bills that has been gazetted and collected from consumers. This 1% surcharge is needed to achieve the target capacity of renewable energy in the long run. As of 2013, 1% surcharge is still imposed on all electricity customers and domestic electricity consumers are obliged to contribute to the surcharge only if their monthly electricity consumption exceeds 300 kWh or RM 77 a month. This money is channelled into the Renewable Energy Fund and administered by SEDA Malaysia to pay the premium Feed-in Tariff rate to those producers who generate electricity at homes or in industrial companies. But as of January 2014, this tariff will increase by 0.6% to be 1.6 % for current electricity users. This increase will also affect the consumers in Sabah and Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan as they are charged with 1.6% of their electricity bills for the first time. Please refer to www.seda.gov.my for more news and information.

Why is this increase necessary in the long run for the development of renewable energy sector in Malaysia? The additional 0.6% surcharge imposed for the electricity bills for the renewable energy fund is to ensure energy security and autonomy. In Malaysia, it is not only sufficient to have energy security but it is also essential that the country has its indigenous supply of energy resources that is renewable and sustainable in the long run. The increasing use of renewable resources creates an energy source which is autonomous and in return creates a more resilient economy.
www.seda.gov.my
 Many people have asked why do we need to revise the tariff of electricity even though Malaysia is a net exporter of gas? Well, a developed nation does not seek dependence on subsidy across the board but embraces subsidy on need basis and is financially responsible for the measures towards achieving energy security and autonomy. This can also help to change the mindset of Malaysians because rationalizing of subsidy is an important step towards motivating consumers to change towards energy efficiency lifestyles and habits.

In Malaysia, under the National Renewable Energy Policy and Action Plan (2010), the country is expected to achieve 73% of renewable energy in the total power generating capacity by 2050. In order to achieve this target, certain assumptions are put in place and one of them is to implement the FiT by 2011. Today, Malaysia is moving towards 1.6% surcharge on electricity bills for the Renewable Energy Fund and this is well below the surcharge implemented in all other countries. It should also be noted that in countries such as China, Germany, Japan and Thailand, the electricity tariff is unsubsidized by the government. Therefore, a 1.6% surcharge imposed on a subsidized electricity tariff is not foreseen to be a huge economic burden to the people.
www.seda.gov.my
Alright, I guess that is all for today and I hope that you can consider the rationales behind the increase of electricity surcharge in Malaysia. If you have further questions, please visit www.seda.gov.my for details on the Feed-in Tariff mechanism. You can drop off your comments below and I will try as much as possible to answer your questions based on my basic understanding about SEDA Malaysia and the 1.6% increase of surcharge. Take care and God bless, and please use energy efficiently!

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