The Malaysian government plans to launch a third solar tender round under its large-scale solar (LSS3) scheme in 2019. Responding to a query in the country's Parliament on November 15, 2018, Malaysia's new Minister for Energy, Green Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment, Yeo Bee Yin said the LSS3 round worth RM 2 billion ($477 million) with 500 MW PV capacity will be conducted through an open tender in January 2019, reported local media.
Yin did not share any more details on the tender, but she did share the status of 958 MW PV capacity that she said her country has already awarded under the previous two cycles of LSS. Out of this, 32.5 MW have reached commercial operations, with the remaining capacity set to be connected to the grid between 2018 and 2020.
In 2016, renewable energy constituted 2% of the total energy generation mix of Malaysia, which the government wants to increase to 20% by 2025, translating into an additional 3,991 MW of additional renewable energy to achieve the target.
As per information on the website of SEDA, the Sustainable Energy Development Authority in Malaysia, total operational solar PV capacity in the country granted under the feed-in-tariff (FiT) regime and that which has achieved the FiT commencement date is 381.48 MW, including 1.56 MW commissioned in 2018.
In October 2018, Malaysian utility Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) announced a 50 MW solar power plant awarded under the LSS scheme in Selangor achieved initial operation date (IOD) by transmitting first generated power to the national grid. The country's first largest LSS project to date is expected to generate its full capacity of 50 MW before year end, it said.