Advance Research

While continuing effort on operational improvement initiatives in TNB, TNBR now are embarking on various Advanced Research projects in positioning TNB to be an early adopters of promising technologies.

Green Technology

Currently the Green Technology initiative is focusing on Utility Solar Solutions. Among the focus areas are on solar conversion technologies where TNBR aims to be in the position to advice and consult on solar plant optimisation, maintenance, performance enhancement and life extension.

Smart Grid

The application of smart grid technologies is very important to TNB as it is envisage to: optimize asset utilisation, increase operation efficiency, reduce widespread outage, enhance reliability & provide consumers with more awareness & choices on their electricity requirements and consumption.

The creation of a dynamic, interactive, real-time infrastructure with an opened & interoperable environment will enable 2-way communication between network grid components and operators. Additionally, this also supports real-time electricity demand control, enhance asset management and efficient operations.

The enhanced power system measurements will facilitate the transformation of data into information to evaluate the health of equipment, support advanced protective relaying, enable consumer choice and help relieve congestion. Enable grid operators and managers to make more accurate and timely decisions at all levels of the grid, including the consumer level.

Low Carbon Power Generation Technology

The Prime Minister of Malaysia has recently made a pledge for Malaysia to reduce its emission intensity by 40% by the 2020 from the baseline level in 2005. TNB being a major power utility in the country is currently taking the initiative to explore the various technologies in reducing CO2 emission from its thermal power plants.

Although there are a number of demonstration plants already been built in some developed countries, these advanced technologies however have not matured, and are still a subject of research. Hence, in preparing itself for these forthcoming new technologies, it is imperative for TNB through TNBR to embark on this emerging research in low carbon power generation. One of the technologies currently being pursued is the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), in which coal is gasified in a reactor to produce synthetic gas (syngas) which can then be used in a gas turbine for a more environmentally friendly generation of electricity.

Emission & Waste Management Technology

In the past, the concern on pollutants from thermal power plant flue gas was mainly focused at NOx, SOx and particulates. However, in recent years, as the concerns over global warming are increasing, the focus is now growing to the emission of CO2. Hence, intensive research work has been initiated in many parts of the globe, to reduce CO2 emission from combustion flue gas, and in trying to convert CO2 into useful products.

Among various CO2 capture and utilization technologies being developed, the biological methods, particularly the ones using microalgal photosynthesis, have strong potential for adoption in the future. In this approach, the photo-bioreactor system makes use of the natural photosynthesis process to convert light, heat and carbon dioxide to useful products, such as carbohydrates and oxygen. For this purpose, micro-algae have been widely identified as the suitable organism to perform the role of photosynthesis. For the initial phase of the project, a lab-scale photo-bioreactor will be developed in order to identify micro-algae organisms that are robust to environmental and flue gas conditions. Further development of the research will also focus on areas such as photo-bioreactor design for optimum CO2 fixation and algae growth, algae harvesting and downstream utilization of algae.

For more information on our Advance Research initiatives, email us at innovation@tnbr.com.my