10
cover story
@green | July-August, 2020
Innovating
solutions
“SIRIM is the
National Executing
Agency of the
UNIDO-MAEESTA
project, responsible
for hosting and
managing
the Project
Management Unit
(PMU) which deals
with the
daily management
of project
execution.”
GREAT JOB: SIRIM won the
Off Grid Solar Thermal Industrial
Plant category at the 2018
National Energy Awards.
While focussing on its core
business, SIRIM does not
exclude its commitment to
environmental protection
BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN
SIRIM Berhad is ever-prepared to head into the
digital transformation, improving business
processes, addressing ever-increasing customer
demands and stakeholder-expectations
and delivering excellent customer experience.
President and Group Chief Executive Prof
Ir Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohamad Hani said: “We
developed a 10-year strategic plan which provides
a comprehensive and dynamic blueprint to prepare
the organisation.”
This overall strategic plan sets across three phases --
building a solid foundation, strengthening capabilities,
and accelerating growth -- in a structured approach such
that its vision, Best Partner for Innovation, can be achieved
by 2027.
While SIRIM’s 8-thrust strategy mainly focusses on its
core business, business processes and market needs, it
does not exclude its commitment to the protection of the
environment.
“In the 4th strategic thrust (ST4); Greener SIRIM for
Greener Malaysia, SIRIM embraces initiatives to help
SIRIM reduce its environmental footprints and participate
in a sustainable Malaysia,” he said.
Three broad strategies under the ST4 are developing
environmental KPIs to allow SIRIM to quantify the
environmental impact of its business activities and assess
reduction effort; take decisive measures to offset impact,
and develop technologies and solutions to encourage
environmental sustainability in Malaysia.
Innovation and Research Centres
According to Ahmad Fadzil, there are centres of innovations
in SIRIM focusing on environmental and green technology
sectors. They are the Industrial Centre of Innovation in
Energy Management (ICI-EM) and Industrial Centre of
Innovation in Bio Natural Gas (BioNG).
“Apart from those two innovation centres, SIRIM also
has two research centres focusing on R&D activities and
projects namely Environmental Technology Research
Centre (ETRC) and the Industrial Biotechnology Research
Centre (IBRC),” he added.
The ICI-EM's core competency is centred on developing
total solutions to industries in the areas related to energy
efficiency, renewable technology and energy storage.
The centre has established collaborations with various
international, local institutes and industries in consultancy
and research projects, to find ways to promote more
acceptance of energy-efficiency and renewable energy in
the marketplace.
Some of the innovations developed by the centre are
electrical and thermal energy efficiency audit for industries
and commercial buildings; solar thermal for industrial
process heat; energy storage; and manufacturing and
production of MYLIPOS cells.
The BioNG's forte lies solely in enabling innovative
solutions in production, distribution and utilisation of
Compressed Bio Natural Gas (CBG).
Its essential purpose is to integrate activities involved
in improving the efficiency and productivity of the Bio
Natural Gas supply chain as a sustainable energy source.
The innovation centre provides a solution for bulk transportation,
assessment of new technologies and innovative
utilisation.
The ETRC focusses on environmental-related
researches and technologies. It plays a significant role in
environmental management, environmental protection
and sustainable product-service, and resource recovery
efficiency.
The environmental protection and sustainable productservice
are equipped with MS 17025 accredited laboratories
to provide full analytical testing services covering water
quality, air quality, health hazard and toxicity.
The laboratories are also certified to OECD/GLP for
mutagenicity study by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory
Agency (NPRA) and environmental toxicity studies
on behaviour in water, soil and air by the Department of
Standards Malaysia (DSM).
Lastly, the IBRC spearheads Malaysia’s industrial
innovation through high-end products development and
technological partnerships with companies.
IBRC offers a wide range of product testing to fulfil the
industry’s demand for safe, high-quality products that
comply with regulatory requirements. IBRC operates
according to ISO 9001 Quality Management System that
guarantees satisfactory services.
Its facilities and analysts’ competencies comply with
international standards through the ISO 17025 accreditation.
IBRC is also the perfect gateway to the overseas
market as its laboratories are also GLP-accredited.
Green Technologies
Ahmad Fadzil said SIRIM’s strength in technology
development and application lay under SIRIM Fraunhofer-
Programme, where technology intervention by SIRIM is
aimed at improving or enhancing productivity and growth
among SMEs.
Two clear examples of SIRIM’s technology/products
which were successfully commercialised are:
• Solar thermal for industrial process heat and,
• Solar Powered Compound Lighting System Using Lightweight
Composite Poles and MYLIPOS Battery.
He informed that SIRIM, through its PPNJ Poultry and
Meat Sdn Bhd demonstration project submission, had won
a prestigious National Energy Award, under MESTECC,
now known as Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources
(KeTSA) for Off-Grid Thermal category in 2018. At the
ASEAN level, the project won 1 st runnerup for Off-Grid
Thermal Category in the same year.
“This was the first-ever award won by SIRIM team for
excellent application of green technology in industrial
applications.”
Ahmad Fadzil shares his thoughts with @green
On SIRIM-UNIDO Collaboration
It was only in 2015, solar thermal was elevated at the