PETALING JAYA: FGV Holdings Bhd’s recently installed biogas power plant at its Triang palm oil mill in Bera, Pahang, is FGV’s biggest renewable energy biogas power plant to date with an installed capacity of 2.4 megawatts (MW).
FGV’s Triang biogas power plant is commissioned and fully-operational after receiving the feed-in-tariff (FiT) Completion Date (FiTCD) from the Malaysia Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) on Oct 20, 2020.
Through Seda, FGV secures a quota for 2.0 MW of export capacity to Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB)’s national grid to distribute electricity to 15,000 homes in Felda Triang, Felda Sebertak, Felda Purun, Felda Bukit Kepayang and Felda Tementi which are located within a 30km radius from the biogas power plant. Other surrounding areas include neighbouring towns, clinics, mosques, offices and small shops.
FGV group CEO Datuk Haris Fadzilah Hassan said the electrical power support provided by FGV’s Triang biogas power plant acts as an alternative form of green energy for TNB, which reduces the risk of outage to ensure a better and steadier stream of electricity.
“In line with the government’s renewable energy agenda, the power plant offers an efficient form of renewable energy through biogas from its palm oil mill effluent (pome) which reduces the need to burn more coal or natural gas that could potentially harm the environment,” Haris Fadzilah added.
It also produces enough biogas to generate power transmitted to the TNB electrical substation which is connected to the national grid. During peak transmission, the biogas power plant is able to produce up to 10 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, which translates into a revenue of RM5 million per year for the palm oil mill.
The installation of the biogas power plant also enhances the palm oil mill’s water treatment capacity, thus greatly improving its discharge quality to the nearby river. The palm oil mill is also equipped with a pome polishing plant to further increase water discharge quality.
Apart from the Triang biogas power plant, FGV currently owns four other existing FiT biogas plants to export electricity to the national grid located in Mersing with 1.6 MW capacity, as well as in Maokil, Segamat and Tenggaroh with 1.2 MW capacity respectively.
In addition to FiT biogas power plants, FGV also contributes to rural electrification for townships without access to the TNB national grid, such as Felda Umas and Felda Baiduri Ayu in Sabah. This is done through injecting electrical power to the local grid owned by Felda Investment Corporation that traditionally uses diesel generators to enable the local population to enjoy clean renewable electricity with a lower cost of energy generation.
FGV is currently the world’s only palm plantation company that owns 28 biogas power plants and also the first to develop a palm-based commercial-scale bio-compressed natural gas plant in Malaysia.
