KUALA LUMPUR: Peninsular Malaysia’s peak electricity demand is projected to rise to 33.5 gigawatts (GW) by 2035 from 21.3GW this year.
This highlights the need for timely investment in power infrastructure to support the country’s expanding high-value industries, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof said.
Fadillah said the growing presence of data centres, artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor manufacturing will create significant opportunities and challenges for the country’s electricity system.
This underscores the need for coordinated planning and timely infrastructure development to ensure electricity supply constraints do not impede economic growth.
“The infrastructure we develop today must serve the needs of tomorrow,” he said at the launch of the CGNEI Annual Gas Turbine Power Generation Committee Conference 2026 at the Edra Melaka Power Plant (EMPP) today.
Fadillah, who is also Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said gas turbine technology will remain important in providing dependable and flexible electricity generation to support grid stability while complementing the growing contribution of renewable energy.
He said reliable electricity supply also depended on secure fuel supplies, effective maintenance, resilient supply chains and skilled personnel.
Meanwhile, caretaker Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the state was taking steps to strengthen its energy sector through diversification of energy sources and the promotion of more sustainable power generation.
He said electricity demand in Melaka would continue to increase as more high-technology industries and data centres establish their presence in the state, making reliable energy supply crucial to sustaining industrial growth.
To support the anticipated demand, he highlighted a collaboration between Melaka Corporation (MCorp) and Edra to develop an integrated data centre ecosystem, with the ambition of scaling up power capacity to 2GW.
The collaboration also involves exploring the potential development of a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in Tanjung Bidara to strengthen gas supply infrastructure and support future power generation.
Ab Rauf also welcomed Edra’s proposed RM6 billion investment, which could create more than 3,000 job opportunities and further strengthen Melaka’s energy sector.
He said investment in energy infrastructure and advanced technologies must be accompanied by efforts to develop local talent, particularly young people in Melaka, through specialised training, industrial placements and career opportunities.
CGN Energy International Holdings Co Ltd (CGNEI) chairman Zhang Chaoqun said its gas turbine skills training centre in Melaka aimed to become a leading platform for international gas turbine talent development, technical exchange and industry cooperation.
Located within EMPP, the centre would provide opportunities for skilled professionals to enhance their capabilities while supporting collaboration across the gas turbine power generation industry, he said.
Zhang said CGNEI also aimed to develop its gas turbine power generation committee into an open platform for industry players to exchange knowledge, share resources and explore cooperation opportunities.
The conference, organised by CGNEI and hosted at EMPP, brought together 120 industry leaders, engineers and technology partners from five countries.
The event also saw the signing of a joint training agreement between CGNEI Gas Turbine Skills Training Centre and CGN Natural Gas Energy Training Institute in Hong Kong.
Other initiatives included unveiling the Malaysia Safety Qualification Training Sub-Centre in collaboration with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and technical cooperation agreements in the gas-fired power sector.
A letter of intent was also signed between Edra and MCorp Technology Sdn Bhd regarding data centre development.