LEADING tiles manufacturer and information technology outfit YB Ventures Bhd (formerly Yi-Lai Bhd) is gearing up to make its maiden foray into the multi-billion ringgit renewable energy (RE) industry in Malaysia.
Towards this end, the group has formed a new wholly-owned subsidiary – YB Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd (YBRESB) – to undertake activities related to RE in Malaysia.
“The incorporation of YBRESB opens up a new range of possibilities to continue to diversify our business,” commented YB Ventures’ executive director Au Yee Boon.
“We are confident that this will be a key business segment to the group and we will continue to explore opportunities that add value and strengthen our presence in the RE sector.”
According to a Bursa Malaysia filing by YB Ventures yesterday (July 22), save for Au and Lee Boon Siong (fellow executive director) who are the promoters of YBRESB, none of the company’s directors and substantial shareholders have any interest, direct or indirect in the incorporation of the RE business.
“The board of directors of YB Ventures is of the opinion that the incorporation of YBRESB is in the best interest of the company,” the announcement pointed out.
Without divulging into details, Au said the management of YB Ventures is currently engaged in a few discussions that would potentially transform the company into a key player in the RE sector vis-à-vis the acquisition of earnings-accretive assets that will provide strong recurring income to the group.
Moving forward, Malaysia is expected to more than double its RE capacity from 6gw (gigawatt) to 14gw, rising from 18% to 30% of the generation mix.
While the overarching ambition of non-hydropower renewables reaching 20% of the energy mix by 2025 may be overly optimistic, it is clear that large-scale solar (LSS) investment remains a major technical and financial opportunity for Malaysia, according to Boston Consulting Group’s managing director and Southeast Asia leader (climate action) Dave Sivaprasad.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) has by far the highest technical potential in Malaysia, and is supported by mechanisms to promote affordability.
Malaysia allows installation of solar for self-consumption with its Net Energy Metering Programme (NEM) providing a pathway to self-generation with excess energy sold back into the grid.
“The nation’s LSS projects offer a successful pathway to utility-scale solar adoption,” added Sivaprasad.
YB Ventures closed 4.5 sen or 8.57% higher at 57 sen yesterday (July 22) with 1.55 million shares traded, thus valuing the company at RM137 mil. – July 23, 2021