Merchang: The development of the Coara Marang Large Scale Solar (LSS) farm in a flood-prone area demonstrates a significant achievement, supplying electricity to over 10,000 households daily.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, despite the 242.8-hectare site in Merchang being identified as an annual flood-risk area, Coara Marang Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between IB Vogt and Coara Solar Sdn Bhd, successfully established the solar farm. They employed innovative methods while adhering to sustainability principles and preserving the original environmental conditions.

Naim Roni, the Asset Manager of LSS Coara Marang, emphasized the project's commitment to a "green culture" concept, utilizing land with low market value. He noted that this approach increases land value while producing clean energy.

Naim shared these insights during a media visit to the solar farm as part of the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) East Zone Squad Tour program, held recently in Kelantan and Terengganu.

He highlighted the unique design of the solar photovoltaic (PV) mounting structure, which stands five meters high to mitigate flood risks. This design ensures safety during floods and includes a single-axis tracker system for optimal solar generation.

The solar farm, operational 24 hours a day, was launched on October 26, 2022, with construction beginning in February 2021. It achieved commercial operation on September 17, 2022, at a cost of RM400 million.

PETRA Secretary-General Datuk Mad Zaidi Mohd Karli remarked that the solar farm aligns with the government's National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) goals, which focus on increasing the renewable energy mix to 40 percent by 2035 and 70 percent by 2050.

Mad Zaidi also noted the farm's role as a model for disaster-resilient solar plant designs, advocating for innovation and adaptation in the green technology sector.