Malaysia’s clean energy firm Solarvest Holdings Berhad has teamed up with aluminum producer Press Metal Berhad to deliver Sarawak’s 100-megawatt solar farm with an estimated investment cost of MYR 380 million ($90.14 million).
Solarvest said in a statement on Friday that Mukah Solar Powerplant Sdn. Bhd. (MSPSB), its special purpose vehicle with Press Metal, has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Syarikat Sesco Berhad (SESCO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sarawak Energy Berhad (Sarawak Energy), for the development of a 100MW alternating current (MWac) solar photovoltaic (PV) energy generating facility in Mukah, Sarawak.
MSPSB is a SPV jointly owned by Solarvest Asset Management (Borneo) Sdn. Bhd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Solarvest, with a 60 percent equity stake, while Press Metal, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Berhad, holds the remaining 40 percent.
Under the agreement, MSPSB will design, construct, own, operate and maintain the Mukah solar PV plant.
The project is scheduled the commercial operation date on November 30, 2027 and will require an estimated investment cost of MYR 380 million ($90.14 million), to be financed primarily through bank facilities, while Solarvest’s equity portion funded internally.
“The Mukah solar PV plant marks a significant step forward in Sarawak’s renewable energy (RE) journey, and Solarvest is proud to play a central role in delivering one of the state’s largest clean energy projects,
“Once operational, the plant is expected to offset around 46,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, supporting Malaysia’s broader path toward a low-carbon economy,” said Leon Liew Chee Ing, the Executive Director and Group Chief Strategy Officer of Solarvest.
According to him, the Mukah solar PV plant is aligned with Sarawak’s Energy Transition Strategy (SET-P) and Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, both of which are designed to strengthen Sarawak’s RE ecosystem and accelerate the shift toward a low-carbon future.
These frameworks target 10GW (gigawatt) of installed capacity by 2030, rising to 15GW by 2035, with renewables making up at least 60 per cent of the energy mix.
He sees the Mukah solar PV plant as an energy generation project and a catalyst for Sarawak to emerge as a regional RE hub in line with Malaysia’s net-zero aspirations.
He noted that for Solarvest, this project further strengthens the firm’s position in the Sarawak engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) market and gives additional momentum to its growing orderbook.
“We anticipate our orderbook to rise to a new high of approximately MYR 3 billion ($710 million) by the end of financial year, driven by more large-scale solar 5 (LSS5) and LSS5+ EPCC wins and additional projects in Borneo,
“More importantly, the Mukah solar PV plant reinforces our long-term commitment to Sarawak, where we aim to deepen our role as a trusted partner in driving clean energy development and supporting the state’s sustainable economic growth,” he added.
It is noted that this project is expected to create around 1500 to 2000 direct and indirect job opportunities for local workers during both the construction and operational phases,
delivering direct benefits to the community.
Beyond employment opportunities, it empowers rural communities to lead in the clean energy transition, building a brighter, more sustainable future for both the environment and the local economy.
Beyond this project, Solarvest said it is contributing to Sarawak’s economy through clean energy investments, technical collaborations, and local job creation.
Together with the Center of Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS) and Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (Huawei), the group has launched the Green Energy Lab in Sarawak to equip over 1,000 Sarawakians over five years since 2023 with practical skills in solar and green energy technologies, creating opportunities for inclusive growth in the energy transition.
By expanding its footprint EPCC in Borneo, Solarvest said it is strengthening its role in shaping Sarawak’s RE landscape for years to come.
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