KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 2): Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has proposed 13 collaborative projects under a two-year strategic collaboration to share best practices in capacity building with European transmission system operator Elia System Operator SA.

TNB chief executive officer Datuk Seri Azman Mohd said the projects would benefit TNB’s role in the regional Asean Power Grid (APG) initiative. The utility giant achieved a significant milestone for APG at the recent Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting in Manila, with the joint signing of an energy purchase and wheeling agreement by TNB, Lao’s Electricite du Laos and Thailand’s Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

In a statement today, TNB said the collaborative projects are part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between TNB and Elia where both parties would cooperate in asset management, cross-boundary system and market operations, grid development, network studies and renewable integration.

The parties will also exchange technical information such as through annual reports and surveys, solution to problems, technical visits, study trips and the necessary training programs.

The two-year MoU is extendable for another year, Azman said, adding that it bodes well for TNB’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) project and ventures into renewable energy, both locally and overseas.

Elia, listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange, is the transmission operator for Belgium and east Germany, serving 30 million residents.

It has 18,000 km of high voltage lines in Belgium and Germany and 30,000 megawatt of installed capacity in renewable energy.

Elia group chief infra and Elia Grid International chairman Markus Berger said the company offers its expertise to TNB’s anchor partner in achieving TNB’s corporate and nation building vision.

“Elia believes that international collaboration and exchange of innovation intelligence are important for success. The key is to synergise as together is better,” he added.

TNB’s share price closed unchanged at RM14.32 today for a market capitalisation of RM81.04 billion.