@ green | November-December , 2020

While EV technology is being adopted worldwide , hydrogen will be the future power for vehicles which accommodate EV ’ s existence , says CEO

By AFIQ AZIZ

Some attribute this to a lack of charging facilities , while others argue that it is too expensive and that the green technology vehicle is quite broad .

Currently , the prices of plug-in hybrid EVs ( PHEVs ) and EVs are expensive and there are no local associates .

In August last year , the Dewan Negara was told the number of EVs registered up to the end of March 2019 was at a paltry 5,403 units .

According to the Transport Ministry , there are 326 open-to-public EV charging stations and some privately owned BMW and Mercedes-Benz charging stations , albeit just a few , in the country .

Contrarily , China has already led the race in EV adoption with over two million vehicles on the road in the mainland , while Europe trails behind with about 1.3 million .

Nevertheless , Malaysia has set a strong footing in this initiative .

It is indeed a long journey for the country to realise this vision but the Malaysian

Green Technology and Climate Change Centre ( MGTC ) believed that initiatives must be carried out continuously to ensure its success .

MGTC CEO Datuk Dr Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor said while EV was a technology being adopted worldwide , hydrogen would be the future power for vehicles which would accommodate EV ’ s existence .

Starting with EVs

“ Hydrogen technology can complement the EV battery . So , while embarking on the EV initiative , we need to also tap into the hydrogen vehicle technology . This will be the future ,” he told The Malaysian Reserve recently .

Hydrogen fuel-cell cars are powered by an electric motor , hence they will produce the electricity themselves .

Unlike in fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles , the vehicle does not get its power from a built-in battery that must be charged from an external power source .

Instead , hydrogen cars effectively have their own efficient power plant on board — the fuel cell .

“ So , we can start with EVs and later install the fuel cell . Then , the hydrogen gas can be used as the motive power to the vehicle ,” he added .

Shamsul said with one charge , the hydrogen car could last four times longer compared to a battery-powered vehicle . Technologies pertaining to EV ( typically batteries ) were improving tremendously .

The range of EVs now can exceed 300km and charging time can be reduced significantly with the use of a rapid or fast charger .

Adopting hydrogen ecosystem

Four years ago , Japan , the leader in hydrogen technology , decided that there would be some 40,000 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on their roads by 2020 , along with 160 fuelling stations and 1.4 million residential fuel cells .

The country planned to use 100 hydrogen buses for Olympics 2020 , which has been postponed to next year due to the Covid-19 crisis .

“ We need to move fast as we have the resources for this . Other countries in the region are already producing hydrogen for export ,” Shamsul said .

In February , Brunei reportedly shipped 4.7 tonnes of hydrogen to Japan meant to be used for the Olympics . The multibilliondollar initiative was also the first global hydrogen supply project .

The vision to have an ecosystem in Malaysia to support hydrogen adoption may seem far away now , but Shamsul said it is never too late for us to catch up , provided there is a proper plan .

“ We must still continue with the EV move because it is like a transition before we can start on building hydrogen gas mobility ,” he said .

To ensure a smooth transition for the master plan , Shamsul said MGTC had already engaged with the Ministry of Science , Technology and Innovation , while looking for interested parties who are willing to carry out this project .

Low-carbon framework

Simultaneously , MGTC , together with the Ministry of Environment and Water , has prepared the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint document , which was developed to be in line with Thrust 4 of the National Transport Policy 2019-2030 .

This document is now going through its final stages of refinement and will be tabled for government adoption soon .

Among others , MGTC is expected to deploy hundreds of electric buses to be used at some municipal councils in the country within the next one year .

“ However , as we know for an automotive sector to succeed , it needs an economy of scale . We hope that as more councils use EVs , it will create a better demand and further confidence among the public .

“ Then , we aim for these buses to be locally assembled here as we do have the capability and facilities to do so . We just need the chassis to be transported . This will save production costs .

“ If the adoption is good , I believe the ecosystem will also improve . Then , we would see the production and usage of EVs increasing along the line ,” Shamsul explained .

The demand for EVs in Malaysia has been on the rise since the Mitsubishi i-MiEV — the country ’ s first registered electric car — made its debut nearly a decade ago . The amount of listed EVs has since increased from an estimated 100 units in 2013 .

There are also several electric cars officially sold in Malaysia , among others the BMW i3s and the Nissan Leaf . Both are selling at RM278,800 and RM188,888 respectively .

At one point , the Renault Zoe was officially sold for RM145,888 , but it is no longer listed . — @ green

NATIONAL ENERGY AWARDS ( NEA ) 2020

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources ( KeTSA ) announced the winners of the National Energy Awards ( NEA ) 2020 on Nov 18 .

NEA is an annual recognition to acknowledge outstanding achievements and best practices in driving the country ’ s sustainable energy agenda . The award was inaugurated in 2018 as part of the ministry ’ s initiatives to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in Malaysia .

The participants of NEA 2020 comprised organisations that have transformed their operations or buildings to become more energy efficient and / or those that have successfully implemented renewable energy systems to reduce their carbon footprint .

KeTSA remains committed to honouring Malaysia ’ s pledge to reduce its greenhouse gas emission and believes that support from industry players in the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency is pivotal to achieve the country ’ s commitment .

KeTSA is pleased to announce that 30 from the total of 110 participants were selected as winners of NEA 2020 which comprises three categories : Category 1 - Energy Efficiency , Category 2 - Renewable Energy and Category 3 – Special Awards .

The winners were selected from a rigorous evaluation process involving a panel of professional and experienced judges .

Winners of Category 1 and Category 2 represented Malaysia at the Asean Energy Awards ( AEA ) 2020 .

It is hoped that the national recognition will bring our industry players beyond the national borders and project these players into international limelight worthy of professional acclaim .

Consequently , winners of the NEA 2020 are in perfect position to become industry leaders not only within Malaysia but also the entire Southeast Asian region .

Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah , the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources , congratulated the winners for their great achievements in further developing the sustainable energy landscape of Malaysia .

“ The winners have all done a great job in furthering the country ’ s progress towards a more sustainable future ,” said Shamsul .

“ As part of this vision , I hope that they will also share their best practices with other organisations so that they may also develop sustainable practices and further expand the benefits of efficient energy management ."

Three Special Awards for Institute of Higher Education , Sustainable Energy Financing and Energy Performance Contracting ( EPC ) were also introduced in this edition of NEA .

The Special Awards were introduced to encourage private and public universities to undertake RE and EE initiatives in campuses , to recognise the support from financial institutions in financing RE and EE projects as well as to promote Energy Performance Contracting ( EPC ) in Malaysia .

“ The growing number of sectors participating in NEA is a good sign that more industry players are embracing the best practices set out by sustainable energy champions in the country . ESCOs play an important role in promoting energy efficiency in business operations , and financial institutions should create more green-related financing products that can attract RE and EE investments ,” added Shamsul . — @ green