Mohd Fadzil said Malaysia’s strategic location at the heart of ASEAN places it between significant sources of clean energy and growing centres of electricity demand.

“From hydropower potential to the north and east, to offshore wind opportunities in the region, stronger interconnection can enable electricity to move more effectively across borders and allow ASEAN to make better use of its complementary resources,” he said.

TNB is already supporting this direction through existing cross-border connectivity and electricity trading with regional partners, while exploring further interconnection opportunities across ASEAN.

bootstrap slideshow

Together, these efforts can strengthen Malaysia’s role within a more connected regional power system and create new pathways for clean energy to reach where it is needed, he said.

Realising this potential requires the infrastructure and the ecosystem around it to advance together.

He said technical, regulatory and commercial requirements will need to progress alongside deeper collaboration among utilities and regional partners to enable cross-border projects and investment. 

“This reflects TNB’s role in the wider transition: strengthening system readiness in Malaysia while helping advance the connectivity and collaboration needed for a more resilient ASEAN power system,” he added.

Meanwhile, speaking at the same conference, TNB Senior Chief (Strategy, Regulatory and Sustainability), Datuk Ir Muhamad Nazri Pazil outlined TNB’s plan to strengthen Malaysia’s energy system through major domestic grid investments while advancing regional connectivity to support the country’s growth and contribute to a more resilient and interconnected ASEAN.

He said the energy transition would be defined by the strength of the system built to deliver it as energy systems across Asia respond to growing demand and an increasingly complex operating environment.

For TNB, this means building the transition as one integrated system.

“Investment in a stronger and more intelligent grid creates the foundation for cleaner energy to grow, while greater flexibility allows the system to accommodate more renewables without compromising resilience,” he said.

As these capabilities mature, stronger regional connectivity can extend their value beyond national borders, creating greater opportunities to share cleaner electricity and strengthen energy security across ASEAN, he said.

The utility company’s approximately RM43 billion in approved Regulatory Period 4 (RP4) capital expenditure is being deployed to strengthen and modernise the grid.

At the same time, continued progress in renewable energy, energy storage and digitalisation is preparing the system for a more dynamic energy future.

A stronger and more intelligent grid would provide the foundation for cleaner energy to expand, while greater system flexibility would enable more renewable energy to be accommodated without compromising resilience, Muhamad Nazri said.

As these capabilities mature, TNB sees stronger regional connectivity as a way of extending the value of national energy investments beyond Malaysia’s borders.

Through the ASEAN Power Grid, that same system thinking extends to the region.

“Greater interconnection can allow stronger national energy systems to work together, supporting cross-border electricity trade and building greater collective resilience across ASEAN,” he added.

For TNB, execution is about ensuring every part of the transition strengthens the system as a whole.

-- BERNAMA