KUALA LUMPUR: Five China-based companies have expressed interest in becoming off-takers and establishing local manufacturing facilities within the UEM Sunrise Berhad Renewable Energy (RE) Industrial Park in Gerbang Nusajaya, Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

In a statement, the developer said the companies will occupy the 40-acre land within the RE Industrial Park as previously announced between UEM Group Bhd’s township and property arm, UEM Sunrise, together with ITRAMAS Corp Sdn Bhd (ITRAMAS) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC).

The companies include industry giants such as China Machinery Engineering Wuxi Co Ltd (CMEC WUXI), the manufacturing arm of CMEC and Wuxi Longmax Technology Co Ltd (Longmax), a global leader in solar photovoltaic (PV) combiner box and eBOS solutions.

Both companies are already in the process of setting up local manufacturing operations in Malaysia, as well as establishing solar module and combiner box production facilities within the RE Industrial Park.

Gotion for Battery Energy Storage Systems, Hopewind for Solar Inverters, and Huasun for Heterojunction (HJT) modules are also in discussions to invest in the industrial park and participate as renewable energy offtakers.

The RE Industrial Park is part of the 1GW hybrid solar power plant project, a flagship catalytic project under Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) to be undertaken by UEM Group through its wholly-owned subsidiary and green industries arm, UEM Lestra Bhd.

“In collaboration with ITRAMAS, CMEC, and our esteemed partners from China, we are committed to fostering an environment that promotes seamless growth, innovation, and excellence in local manufacturing.

“As we establish Gerbang Nusajaya as a renewable energy hub, UEM Sunrise looks forward to providing the infrastructure, resources, and bring the collaborative spirit required to bring form to this vision in a responsible and sustainable manner,” UEM Sunrise CEO Sufian Abdullah said.

Meanwhile, UEM Lestra CEO Harman Faiz Habib Muhamad said the RE Industrial Park in Gerbang Nusajaya is a pivotal component of its landmark 1GW solar hybrid power plant project under NETR.

“The interest from foreign companies and their forthcoming involvement in the project will strategically position Malaysia to drive substantial economic growth through foreign direct investment.

“Furthermore, it will accelerate our domestic direct investment objectives and reinforce our comprehensive value creation strategy, all of which are agendas we share with our parent company, UEM Group. By leveraging the collective strengths of our partners, we are establishing a robust foundation for a transformative shift towards a more sustainable future for Malaysia,” he added.

Source: The Star