Transitioning to a high renewable net-zero power generation system in Malaysia

1) Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Menara Matrade, Tingkat 20, SayapBarat,JalanSultanHajiAhmadShah,50480KualaLumpur,Malaysia
2) Invite Green Consultancy, Lintang Pantai Jerjak 3, Gelugor 11700,Penang, Malaysia
3) Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Malaysia is a net importer of coal, petroleum product sand piped natural gas. Moreover, its primary energy supply is dominated by fossil fuels, at about 93%in total, with coal and natural gas constituting the highest shares in electricity generation. Thus, there is need for Malaysia to take swift action in transitioning to a high renewable energy system for long-term sustainability and meeting its climate action commitment under the Paris Agreement. A net-zero emissions vision guided by a road map may effectively motivate and catalyse carbon-free energy deployments. In this paper, we revisit the carbon-free energy roadmap that was developed in2015 and compare it with the current generation development plan to identify the gaps between them. We argue that the roadmap is still relevant to the net-zero emissions vision; however, we have also identified gaps that merit further research and improvement. The identified gaps mainly relate to more recent data, along with technology and policy developments. Accordingly, we put forward potential research suggestions to bridge these gaps for future development of a roadmap that would assist Malaysia in shaping a long-term plan towards realizing a high renewable net-zero power generation system.