INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Malaysia tripartite electricity trading among the three ASEAN countries; the agreement was signed at the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting( AMEM) in Manila last year.
Energy Storage System( ESS)
Within the energy balancing market, certain technologies will come in handy, e. g. energy storage systems( ESS). There are commercialised ESS that are able to handle various energy deficits that span intraday, intermediate and long haul gaps. Meanwhile, RE technologies continue to advance in terms of increasing efficiency and reducing cost. Technologies for reducing energy consumption are perhaps the lowest hanging fruits towards a more sustainable energy market in the country.
ESS is one of the important elements required for a bigger share of solar PV in our system. Energy storage will provide the crucial energy balancing system needed to overcome the variability of solar energy. Battery storage systems are now undergoing the same trajectory in terms of price reduction and efficiency improvement that was once experienced by the solar modules. Coupled with other energy balancing systems, the argument about intermittency of variable RE can be put to rest.
Future Direction
Energy transition is made possible today because prices of RE technologies( especially solar and wind) have dropped significantly over the past decade. This shouldn’ t come as a surprise. Taking the cue from hydropower, any renewable energy with zero marginal cost has the potential of achieving low levelised cost of energy( LCoE) with increasing economies of scale. This will usually require Government intervention via energy policies.
100 % RE aspirations are currently not practical for Malaysia. Electricity tariffs are still quite low in the country, making the cost for RE production comparatively more expensive. We also do not have a huge resource of non-variable RE plants such as geothermal and large hydro or biomass plants. Variable RE such as solar, requires a balancing market to match the supply and demand of electricity. This will require capital investment in technological solutions such as utility-scale battery storage systems, interconnection facilities with neighbouring electricity grids, hydro pumpedstorage systems and smart grid systems.
In order for renewable energy to truly scale up in Malaysia, there are several issues to address such as rationalising subsidy on the electricity tariff, liberalising electricity market and industry, the need for a paradigm shift from base load electricity system to the creation of an energy balancing market as variable renewable energy contribution increases and establishing a flexible smart grid.
One of the main enablers for larger RE share is the smart grid. Malaysia is already preparing for this. The infratructure is slowly being put in place by utility companies. But we have yet to see the full impact and capability of the smart grid. We have not reached its real application potential. With the advent of smart grid technologies, the power system will have more“ intelligence” to accept and manage a larger share of RE in the system. The system will be more dynamic. It would be able to handle both technical and commercial complexities more readily; this only augurs well for RE.
With the increase of e-mobility( especially e-vehicles) and improvement in lithium-ion battery technologies, the energy landscape is shifting at an unprecedented pace. Several countries( e. g. UK, France, Norway, China, Netherlands) have pledged to phase out the internal combustion engine( ICE) vehicles between 2030 – 2040. With this persistent global trend, energy analysts have concluded that the future of energy will be electricity. In view of climate urgency, this electricity should be decarbonised.
Digitising the energy sector is important in the energy transition process for any country. Digitising the energy sector also typically refers to creating a smart grid, embedding artificial intelligence in home and building appliances( energy management systems), and managing electricity supply and demand. In recent years, digital technologies have expanded to include new frontiers such as the Internet of Things( IoT), robotics, artificial intelligence( AI), 3D printing,
10 VOL 75 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2018