ALOR GAJAH, Feb 17 — Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Plus Malaysia Bhd will jointly install 18 electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations along PLUS Highways by year end.
PLUS Malaysia Bhd and TNB in a joint statement said the TNB Electron charging facility was now available in three Rest and Recreation (R&R) areas in Ayer Keroh (northbound), Tapah (northbound) and along the North-South Expressway and Paka (northbound) on the East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2).
According to the statement, six more TNB Electron charging facilities were being built at the Machap R&R (southbound), Rawang (northbound), Gunung Semanggol (southbound), Gurun (north and southbound) and Paka (southbound) which are expected to be completed this year in line with Malaysia’s aspiration towards achieving a carbon-neutral country status.
TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Baharin Din said the use of electricity at the nine TNB Electrons which is estimated at 99,000 kWh in 2023 will avoid emission of 7.2 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in the same period which is equivalent to the capture of greenhouse gases by 3.43 hectares of forest per year.
He said TNB has made the development of the EV ecosystem one of its four initiatives to accelerate its energy transition drive in an effort to increase its commitment to the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) as well as ensure sustainable business growth.
Meanwhile, a PLUS Malaysia Berhad board member and UEM Group Managing Director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said the major concessionaires of the country’s highway infrastructure operators have joined hands with TNB and used their expertise in energy resource technology expertise to be enjoyed by PLUS highway users.
Mohd Izani said as of January 20 this year, a total of 20 fast-charging facilities have been operating along the PLUS Highway and it is ready to add more similar facilities in other R&R areas.
He also said several initiatives were being implemented through the cooperation between two the parties, focussing on widening the kWh solution, electric vehicle, renewable energy and green technology initiative including the installation of solar panels, and an energy monitoring system as a complement to the PLUS Environmental Sustainability Initiative.
He added that PLUS and TNB will continue discussions related to low carbon mobility and improving energy efficiency by optimising electrical costs apart from supporting green energy.
— Bernama
