Kota Kinabalu: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), through Gentari – an independent clean energy solutions entity – is bringing clean and reliable solar energy to rural and remote communities across Sabah, powering homes, schools, and community spaces in interior villages to supporting the Mountain Search and Rescue (MoSAR) unit on Mount Kinabalu.
In places like Pulau Banggi, Katalirus, and Sonsogon Magandai, solar power is lighting up homes and classrooms – enabling learning, connectivity, and better quality of life.
Gentari, established by Petronas, participated in the recent Sabah Oil, Gas & Energy Conference & Exhibition 2025 at the Sabah International Convention Centre where the public learnt that it provides clean energy solutions across three core areas – Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Green Mobility.
Its campaign theme for this year, “Partners in transition. Leaders in delivery”, reflects Gentari’s focus.
It aims to be the leading Commercial and Industrial (C&I) and utility–scale renewable energy developer, enabling an integrated clean energy offering.
The name Gentari combines the English word “Generation” with the Malay word “Lestari” which means sustainable, reflecting its mission to offer responsibly sourced energy that supports society’s progress toward a more sustainable future.
A global clean energy company focusing on renewable energy, hydrogen and green mobility solutions to help its clients achieve their decarbonisation goals, aligning with both their national and global climate targets.
It has achieved 8.0 GW in global renewable energy capacity (installed and under construction).
Gentari stated that its vision is to be a trusted and valued partner in Asia Pacific, delivering value and accelerating the transition to clean energy by installing 30 to 40 GW of renewable energy, supplying up to 1.2 MTPA of clean hydrogen and capture over 10 per cent market share of public charge points and Vehicle–as–a–Service in key markets.
Ahmad Adly Alias, Petronas Vice–President for Refining, Marketing and Trading said: “Take the solar panels. A few years ago, they were expensive, but advancement in technology has helped to reduce costs significantly. Now, installing solar panels on rooftops is financially viable – something unthinkable five years ago”.
As global decarbonisation efforts intensify, Petronas is strategically realigning its downstream portfolio to achieve net–zero carbon emissions by 2050.
For Petronas, biofuels represent more than a climate compliance measure – they are a cornerstone of the future energy landscape.
Ahmad Adly emphasised that scaling biofuels sustainably hinges on three critical enablers: policy support, technological innovation, and strategic partnerships. While the road to net zero by 2050 poses challenges, Petronas aims to lead this transition, contingent on biofuels delivering cost–competitiveness and scalable supply–demand solutions.
Petronas is accelerating decarbonisation through carbon capture, hydrogen, and biofuel initiatives. Biofuels, specifically Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), are prioritised as a transitional solution for hard–to–abate sectors like aviation and transport.
SAF – a produced from renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil, agricultural residues, and municipal waste – offers a cleaner alternative to conventional jet fuel.
his aligns with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme (CORSIA), which mandates carbon–neutral growth for aviation.
Starting in 2027, airlines in all ICAO member states will face offsetting requirements for international flights.
To meet surging global demand from aviation and logistics, Petronas has finalised a $1.3 billion (RM5.6 billion) joint venture with Italy’s Eni SpA (Enilive) and Japan’s Euglena Co Ltd to develop a state–of–the–art bio–refinery in Pengerang, Johor, integrated within the Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) with feedstock capacity of using 650,000 tonnes/year of waste–based materials (used cooking oil, palm fatty acid distillates, palm oil mill effluent, tallow) to product output of 12,500 barrels/day of bio–based products, including SAF and renewable diesel starting from 2028.
Ahmad Adly acknowledged that SAF’s primary hurdle is cost–currently two to three times higher than conventional jet fuel.
He stressed that sustained innovation is essential to improve affordability. Policy interventions are equally critical; incentives (tax waivers, capital grants) and disincentives (carbon pricing, emissions tariffs) could accelerate adoption.
Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (2023) targets a 47 per cent SAF blend by 2050. With realistic targets and robust policy frameworks, this ambition can drive sustainable growth for both consumers and industry stakeholders.
