Peninsular Malaysia electricity reserve margin of 28-36% projected; sufficient reserves for EV charging

The power reserve margin in Peninsular Malaysia has been projected to be between 28% and 36% from this year until 2030, which is above the minimum level necessary to cope with the demand for electricity in the event of supply disruptions at any power plants, and will provide sufficient reserves to cope with demand for charging electric vehicles.

The forecast energy demand to supply industrial and electric transportation needs was discussed and approved at the JPPPET meeting last November, Akmal Nasrullah said.

“For example, the projected electricity supply demand in Peninsular Malaysia for this year is 19,480 megawatts, and we expect it to reach 20,049 megawatts by 2030, which is an increase of about 2.9%,” he said.

Factors contributing to this increase are growth in economic activity, industrial development such as the establishment of data centres, resumption of economic and social activities after the Covid-19 pandemic, and the higher projections for electric vehicles in the country.

This level of power reserve margin will be maintained according to the planning and implementation committee for electricity supply and tariff (JPPPET) in order to ensure that electricity supply costs are affordable, deputy energy transition and water transformation minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said.

“The power reserve margin includes electricity generated by power plants operated by energy-generating companies utilising gas, coal and renewable energy sources. The electricity supply from fossil and non-fossil energy generation companies will undoubtedly create source diversification for electricity supply generation to ensure the safety of the national electricity supply system,” the minister said in the Dewan Rakyat in reply to Gombak member of parliament Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

Out of the 1,246 available charging stations in place right now, 1,007 are of the AC variety, while 239 are DC fast charging points. Of the total, 500 are indoor charging points, while 746 are outdoor. In terms of the EV charging network in Malaysia, investment, trade and industry (MITI) minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said last October that the nation is on track to attain its target of 10,000 EV charging stations by 2025, of which 9,000 will be AC chargers and 1,000 will be DC chargers.