On 4 March 2024, Malakoff Corporation Berhad (“Malakoff”) held a full-day workshop on Bioenergy and Biomass Co-Firing in Coal Power Plants at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour, in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. Aimed at raising awareness on the application of bioenergy technology and the challenges that are associated with its operations, the event was attended by 30 Malakoff staff comprising teams from the operation, maintenance and engineering at Tanjung Bin Power Plant (“TBPP”) and Tanjung Bin Energy Plant (“TBE”).

The event commenced with an overview of harnessing energy from diverse biomass and biogas sources, creating an informative platform for attendees to comprehend the associated concepts and theories. Subsequently, the workshop delved into the conversion of raw biomass into fuel, offering a comprehensive examination of the entire process. The session then proceeded to explore electricity generation methods associated with biomass co-firing, highlighting the obstacles and challenges encountered in integrating these into existing coal power plants.

Conducted by Professor Dr. Ramlan Zailani from the School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (“UiTM”) and Associate Professor Dr. Adlansyah Abd Rahman from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (“HWUM”), the workshop garnered enthused participation where various technical questions were raised and addressed. 

Last year, Malakoff was designated as a co-champion, alongside the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (“KPK”) within Malaysia's National Energy Transition Roadmap (“NETR”). This collaboration aimed to spearhead biomass co-firing initiatives at Malakoff’s 2,100 MW TBPP. Malakoff successfully conducted a trial burn of 0.5% biomass co-firing in December 2022 and plans to escalate it to 2% in the first quarter of 2024, with the goal of reaching at least 15% by 2027.

The workshop has provided adequate awareness for the plant operators to ensure smooth conduct on the operation side, and equip them with the necessary knowledge to address any potential hazard that can arise from biomass fuel handling and storage. 

This initiative is part of Malakoff’s continuous efforts at upskilling its staff to enhance their knowledge and skills in tandem with industry demand. This aligns with our commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 7, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. This commitment also supports the Net Zero Emissions target by 2050 and is consistent with our overarching purpose of 'Enhancing Life, Enriching Communities’.