UEM Announces 40-Acre Renewable Energy Industrial Park in Iskandar Puteri

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — UEM Group Bhd today announced that its subsidiary UEM Sunrise Berhad has entered into a strategic partnership with Itramas Corporation Sdn Bhd and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to develop a 40-acre renewable energy (RE) industrial park in Gerbang Nusajaya, Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

The RE Industrial Park is part of the one-gigawatt hybrid solar power plant project, a key initiative under Malaysia’s National Energy Transformation Roadmap (NETR) announced by the government in July 2023.

This follows the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoU) between UEM Group, Itramas, a subsidiary of CMEC China Machinery Engineering Wuxi Co Ltd, Blueleaf Energy and Hexa Renewables, to cooperate in project development, financing and commercialisation of green electricity.

The MoU was signed by UEM Sunrise CEO Sufian Abdullah, Itramas Managing Director Lee Choo Boo and CMEC Assistant CEO Li Mingqiang. Witnesses included Harman Faiz Habib Muhamad, Acting CEO of UEM Lestra Berhad; Royd Lee, Project Development Director of Itramas; and Fang Yangshui, President of CMEC.

“This signing of the agreement is another milestone in the implementation of our NETR venture,” UEM Group managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said in a joint statement.

“As the RE Industrial Park expands, the strategic importance of attracting manufacturers, suppliers and industry players from across the RE and EV value chain from China cannot be overemphasized.”

“Securing China’s interest in the partnership not only enhances the feasibility and impact of this strategic national project, but also underscores the importance of cross-border cooperation in driving sustainable development,” he added.

The announcement marks the second major NETR-related initiative by UEM Group and Itramas. Earlier this year, UEM Lestra, the green investment arm of UEM Group, partnered with Itramas and HEXA Renewables Malaysia Sdn Bhd to develop a 500-megawatt hybrid solar power plant in Segamat, Johor.

The RE Industrial Park in Gerbang Nusajaya aims to attract Chinese manufacturers and suppliers operating in the renewable energy and electric vehicle (EV) sectors, as well as high-tech companies to set up operations and research and development centres.

The park will house a renewable energy hub with a modern solar module factory and advanced research facilities, contributing to the development of the Malaysian energy sector and electric vehicle ecosystems.

“Gerbang Nusajaya’s prime location close to Singapore, complemented by access to major airports and seaports, significantly enhances our industrial attractiveness to international investors. This RE industrial park will not only act as a key driver of economic growth and transformation for Iskandar Puteri, but will also enable the ecosystem surrounding the RE and EV value chains to support the nation’s energy transformation agenda,” said Sufian Abdullah, CEO of UEM Sunrise.

“Building on our other groundbreaking projects such as Nusajaya Tech Park and Southern Industrial & Logistic Cluster in Johor, we are confident that we will be able to create a sustainable RE industrial park on a 40-acre site with 730,000 sq ft of factory floor space,” he added.

Meanwhile, Itramas managing director Lee Choo Boo said the partnership will strengthen the company’s commitment to developing Malaysia’s energy sector.

“We are particularly excited about the RE Hub at the park, which will house state-of-the-art facilities, including a state-of-the-art solar module factory and advanced research centers. These facilities will not only expand our manufacturing capabilities, but also put us at the forefront of renewable energy innovation,” Lee said.

Together we aim to set new standards in the industry and contribute to the development of Johor as a dynamic renewable energy hub.”