July-August, 2020 | @green
cover story
11
“UNIDO commissioned
the initial feasibility
study works of the
project at PPNJ Poultry
and Meat Sdn Bhd, which
involved energy audit
and energy optimisation.
The solar thermal system
design, installation and
commissioning were
implemented by SIRIM
Industrial Research and
funded by the SIRIM-
SME Development
Programme.”
– Ahmad Fadzil
national level, when MOSTI launched the National Project
on GHG Emission Reductions in Targeted Industrial
Sub-Sectors Through Energy Efficiency and Applications
of Solar Thermal Systems in Malaysia, also coined as
MAEESTA.
The project was an initiative by the Ministry of Science,
Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), KeTSA , Ministry
of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Ministry of
Environment and Water, Malaysian Investment Development
Authority (MIDA), SEDA, Energy Commission,
Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology
(MIGHT), Malaysian Green Technology and Climate
Change Centre (MGTC), Economic Planning Unit and Solar
Energy Research Institute (SERI), UKM, in partnership
with the Global Environment Facility and United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The five-year project, led by SIRIM, aims to promote and
demonstrate sector-specific energy efficiency improvements
and solar thermal technology application in the
heating and cooling processes practised by Malaysian
industries.
The strategic initiatives of the projects will support and
contribute towards the reduction of anthropogenic carbon
dioxide emissions into our environment.
In 2014, SIRIM tied up with the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO) to implement
the Malaysian Energy Efficiency and Solar Thermal
Application Project (MAEESTA).
SIRIM and UNIDO collaboration for solar thermal
system and energy efficiency was a stepping stone to
promote and commercialise solar thermal usage and
energy efficiency towards Malaysian industries and be
used widely domestically.
What are the objectives of the MAEESTA project?
Have they been achieved?
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission to the environment is
contributed mainly by the burning of fossil fuels for the
industrial and transportation sectors. For the manufacturing
industry, only 30 per cent of the energy 'used' is for
electricity application and another 70 per cent for manufacturing
process heat. The Malaysian government is very
committed to reducing the GHG emissions that have a
significant impact on the climate change issue.
The objective of the MAEESTA project is to reduce GHG
emissions by promoting and demonstrating sector-specific
energy efficiency improvements and solar thermal technology
utilisation in Malaysian industries.
A total of 10 solar thermal demonstration projects were
approved for UNIDO-MAEESTA funding. Based on the
list of approved solar thermal projects, a potential of 149
Ktonnes of CO 2 lifetime reduction will be achieved.
What is SIRIM’s role, and how has the organisation
benefitted from the project?
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.
SIRIM is also involved in the training, energy audit and
solar thermal demonstration projects.
Also, SIRIM appointed one of its senior managers to be
National Project Director (NPD) who acts as a government
representative. He works closely with the PMU to ensure
the daily management of project execution is entirely in
line with government priorities, rules and regulations
and that all local inputs and participation in the project
implementation are on time and adequate.
Other than the experience gained in managing this
national project, SIRIM’s Researchers trained under the
MAEESTA project, have enhanced further their capabilities
in the thermal energy audit, solar thermal system design
and in ensuring the workability of the solar thermal system.
Some of the researchers were recognised as Certified
UNIDO Expert in Thermal Energy Efficiency & Solar
Thermal Technology and Design.
What motivated SIRIM to lead/champion the
project?
The UNIDO MAEESTA project addresses key global initiatives
towards GHG emission reductions through EE and
application of solar thermal system in targetted industrial