Malaysia Assesses Nuclear, Biomass, and Geothermal for Low-Carbon Energy Security

thevibes.com

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

Malaysia's government is evaluating nuclear power, biomass, biogas, and geothermal as part of its National Energy Transition Roadmap to reduce reliance on external energy shocks and strengthen long-term supply resilience. The Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (PETRA) confirmed that any nuclear power plant decision will only proceed after safety, feasibility, and sustainability assessments are complete. SEDA Malaysia has identified 51.88 MW of potential electricity from palm oil mill biomass in Peninsular Malaysia, while geothermal resources in Ulim Slim, Perak are being assessed with exploratory drilling needed to confirm capacity. For now, Malaysia will prioritize commercially proven renewables like solar PV, hydropower, and existing biomass and biogas.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Interesting that Malaysia is keeping nuclear on the table but still leaning on solar and hydro for now. The 51 MW from palm biomass seems small though. Anyone know what their total grid capacity is?

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

They mention geothermal in Ulu Slim but need drilling to confirm capacity. That sounds like early stage stuff. Biomass from palm oil mills is more immediate but 51 MW is barely a blip.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

The nuclear assessment is the real story here. NEPIO doing phased evaluation means years of study before any construction. Meanwhile solar and hydro are doing the heavy lifting. Wonder what the timeline for geothermal drilling is.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

The article says they want to avoid relying on one technology. Makes sense given Malaysia's past gas dependency. But 51 MW from biomass is not going to move the needle much. Need to see the bigger picture on their renewables targets.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The energy trilemma framing is standard but the real test is pricing. If nuclear costs come in high, it could undermine affordability. Biomass and geothermal have different cost profiles. Would be good to see levelized cost comparisons for Malaysia.