Malaysia's Renewable Energy, Lecture notes of Environmental Science

Download Malaysia's Renewable Energy and more Lecture notes Environmental Science in PDF only on Docsity! Introduction of Malaysia's Renewable Energy The Earth is slowly collapsing, fading, and dying. Time after time, the usage and release of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases are contributing to lessening the life on the planet. These kinds of oil, coal, and gas are examples of nonrenewable energy that may eventually run out and cannot replenish. In addition, these are also considered harmful and dangerous for environmental health. Due to these limitations, today, renewable energy is thriving around the world for being a reliable source of clean energy to combat environmental issues as heavy as climate change. Knocking into renewable energy sources, with thousands of rivers, plenty of solar rays, blessed with the tropical woods, and an agricultural sector that is able to contribute to biomass means, Malaysia shows a lot of potential for renewable energy generation. Malaysia is considered one of the countries abundant in renewable energy, such as hydropower, biomass, and solar energy. Natural energy plays a vital part in Malaysia’s development of sustainable growth. According to Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), renewable energy, also known as clean energy, derives from naturally occurring processes or sources that are continuously replenishing. Since 2013, Malaysia's power production has depended mainly on fossil fuels. As a signatory nation, Malaysia seeks to boost the capacity of renewable energy sources — excluding hydropower — in the generation mix to 20% by 2025. The issue of sustainability, which entails ensuring the safety and dependability of energy supply as well as the diversification of the various energy supplies, is the most significant challenge facing Malaysia's power industry. Malaysia has significant potential and access to water resources because it receives rain all throughout the year and has high temperatures and humidity. Large hydropower plants generate electricity for numbers of people, whereas smaller plants and individuals operate "micro" hydropower plants to meet their personal power needs. In Peninsular Malaysia, the state government of Sarawak recently announced its intentions to build a variety of large hydroelectric projects as part of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy. The 22-year-long development project has the capacity to produce 28,000 megawatts of electricity once it is completed. Most of the solar power used in Malaysia is at the domestic level only. Solar power in Malaysia, also known as Photovoltaic (PV) System approximates four times the world's fossil fuel resources. Malaysia is well-positioned among the ASEAN nations to encourage the use of biomass as a renewable energy source in its national energy mix as it is one of the major producers of agricultural commodities. The most viable renewable energy sources in Malaysia are biomass and solar. The state's development policies emphasize sustainable energy use, and government enterprises encourage it. The government of Malaysia has supported energy-related programs and made an effort to keep up with the demand for energy. Malaysia has the ability to alleviate global concerns about climate change and the need to cut carbon emissions by upholding its pledge to implement extensive renewable energy. Their actions have raised awareness of the value of renewable energy in a sustainable system. However, before we can see a greater uptake of renewable energy in Malaysia, nongovernmental organizations and the general public will need to take more proactive steps to organize, promote, and use the energy produced based on renewable resources. Discuss Malaysia's Energy Mix and Power Generation Mix within the Last 10 Years The energy sector in Malaysia is a significant driver of economic growth. The government has prioritized boosting hydrocarbon output through upstream investment and research as an engine of economic growth. Despite implementing this approach, it has become a tougher challenge from the declining production due to maturing fields and a lack of newly developed resources. Between 2012 and 2022, renewable energy installed capacity grew from 3.7 GW to 8.5 GW. It corresponds to an annual growth rate of 10.9%. In 2012, the renewable energy mix was largely composed of two third of large hydro. Post 2011, the introduction of the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme has brought strong development in solar PV and biogas. Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme was established by the government to encourage the utilization of renewable and low- carbon electricity generation. Growth in solar PV has benefited from Large Scale Solar auctions in 2018. In order to assist the expansion of biogas generation, the Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) mandated that all palm oil mills shall install biogas capture equipment in 2014. The increase of installed capacity for hydro has been limited by the long gestation periods. After receiving approval for a FiT quota, small hydro projects will require up to five years to reach commercial operation. Growth in biomass installed capacity has been relatively static due to implementation issues such as the ability to obtain a constant supply of feedstock and high connection costs. From 2012 to 2020, the capacity of large hydro renewable energy rose by 12.6%, reaching a peak in 2016 at 5.7 GW. Regardless of the execution of the feed-in tariff and renewable smart targets, the absorption of renewables in the power mix has been very slow. Renewable sources made up barely 0.2% of the electricity mix in 2013, other than hydro. The two core energy sources used in Malaysia are natural gas and petroleum, and other liquids, with corresponding percentages of 37% and 36% in 2019. About 21% of the nation's energy needs are supplied by coal. 6% of overall energy consumption is made up of renewable sources. Malaysia has also accepted the Paris agreement, which calls for a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, than the 2005 level. Malaysia must rearrange its energy generation mix to address the issues of climate change and depleting fossil fuel reserves.