UEM Lestra Bhd, the green industries arm of UEM Group Bhd, has entered into a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power to conduct a feasibility study and jointly develop renewable independent water and power plant (IWPP) facilities in Malaysia. 

Under the agreement, ACWA Power — the world’s largest private water desalination company and a leader in energy transition — will collaborate with UEM Lestra to explore the establishment of renewable IWPP facilities in Malaysia. 

The study will also assess the implementation of sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology for industrial water supply. 

The feasibility study, expected to take between six to 12 months, will evaluate desalination plants with a production capacity of 200,000 to 400,000 cu m of water daily, catering to industrial needs. Additionally, the study will examine the integration of IWPP facilities with combined cycle gas turbine solutions, large-scale solar farms equipped with battery energy storage systems, or a hybrid of both technologies. 

The partnership agreement was signed by UEM Lestra’s CEO Harman Faiz Habib Muhamad and chief development officer Rashidi Hazrin Harun, with ACWA Power’s chief investment and development officer Thomas Brostrom and ACWA Power Malaysia country CEO of Mathew Chandapillai. 

The signing ceremony was witnessed by UEM Group chairman Datuk Hisham Hamdan, UEM Lestra chairman Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin and ACWA Power’s regional VP Salman Baray. 

Also present was Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, senior advisor to the chairman of ACWA Power for Malaysia. 

“This partnership marks a significant step towards delivering sustainable industrial-grade water supply and power in Malaysia. If implemented, it has the potential to further attract manufacturing and data centre-type foreign direct investment into the country. We are committed to working alongside ACWA Power to ensure the successful implementation of these facilities, which will not only address the increasing industrial demand for water resources but also align with Malaysia’s ambitious renewable energy (RE) objectives,” said Harman Faiz. 

Meanwhile, Brostrom said the collaboration with UEM Lestra underscores the firm’s commitment to delivering sustainable energy and water solutions. 

“By harnessing ACWA Power’s global expertise in renewable infrastructure and advanced technologies like sea water reverse osmosis, we are addressing Malaysia’s industrial water needs while contributing to the nation’s green infrastructure development. This partnership supports Malaysia’s sustainability goals, attracts foreign investment and sets a benchmark for innovative, future-ready utilities,” he said. 

The partnership aligns with Malaysia’s efforts to enhance its RE infrastructure while addressing industrial water needs through innovative, sustainable solutions. — TMR