More than 6 GW of utility-scale solar projects have been approved under Malaysia’s large-scale solar (LSS) program to date, according to figures from the country’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra).
The auction scheme, first introduced in 2016, has delivered 6,028 MW of solar capacity to 117 companies that have won bids across six rounds to date.
In response to a line of government questioning, Petra confirmed all projects approved under bidding rounds LSS1 to LSS3 are now operational. These projects are equal to 354 MW of solar approved under LSS1 in 2016, 465 MW agreed under LSS2 in 2017 and 491 MW authorized under LSS3 in 2019.
The ministry added that 93% projects of LSS4, which awarded 823 MW of solar in 2020, have commenced operations, with the remainder in the final stages of development.
Projects awarded under the two most recent rounds of the program remain in earlier stages of development. The fifth LSS round awarded 1,920 MW of solar projects last year, while the sixth approved 1,975 MW of new projects last month.
Petra also told the government it will continue to assess the need for future LSS bidding rounds in order to meet Malaysia's target of achieving 70% renewable energy capacity by 2050.
It also pledged to prioritize new technologies, including battery energy storage, to help accelerate the national energy transition and strengthen the grid to accommodate integration of the LSS projects.
Malaysia’s cumulative solar capacity reached 2,306 MW by the end of 2024, up from 2,146 MW at the end of 2023, according to statistics published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
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