The Government of Malaysia has outlined a plan to phase out coal-fired power plants, reducing their use by 50 per cent by 2035 and completely retiring them by 2044.
At the same time, Malaysia is rapidly increasing its adoption of renewable energy, with a target to boost renewable energy capacity to 70 per cent by 2050. This effort includes the deployment of solar, biomass, and waste-to-energy sources, as well as initiatives like grid modernisation and the Malaysia Energy Exchange, which facilitates cross-border renewable energy trade. This coal phase-out plan aligns with Malaysia’s 2022 pledge to stop building new coal-fired power plants after 2040. The National Energy Transition Roadmap had initially projected an almost complete coal phase-out by 2045, driven by the natural retirement of existing plants.