Perak ventures into renewable power with solar farm project in Bidor

IPOH, April 21 — Perak will enter the renewable energy sector through a collaboration between the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP) and Gading Kencana Sdn Bhd to build a solar farm in Bidor.

Mentri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad said the green energy development agenda was a step by PKNP to form a strong economic chain with high potential and to provide employment and business opportunities.

He also said the matter of Orang Asli settlements in Perak being affected by the energy development project will no longer be an issue with this initiative.

“When we want to develop hydro, most of the rivers are inside the deep forest, which involves Orang Asli settlements.

“Of course we will be meeting them. But for this solar farm, the area does not involve Orang Asli because it’s former mining area. So we will not have that problem anymore,” he told a press conference after witnessing the signing between PKNP and Gading Kencana at the Mentri Besar’s Office here.

Gading Kencana managing director Datuk Muhamad Guntor Mansor Tabong said that they have obtained 43 hectares of land, which has the capacity of producing 44 MW.

“For fixing the solar farm, one MW requires 30 workers. So need about 1,000 workers to fix the all 44 MW.

“Apart from that we also need workers for landscape and other services. It will bring huge job opportunities for the people in Bidor,” he said.

He also said the project will commence next year and will take about 18 months to complete.

When asked if the usage of mine would affect the livelihood of inland fishermen, Muhamad Guntor said that it would complement their activities.

“When we do solar farm on the mine, we have to release many fish so that the fish will eat the algae and weeds.

“If we don’t have fish in the mine, the buoy we fixed in the mine will be filled with mud and will be brittle fast. The inland fishermen will have more fish to catch now,” he explained.