Malaysia Breaks Ground on 300MW Floating Solar Farm

An old mining pit in Malaysia is getting a bright new future as the country's largest floating solar farm.

Construction just kicked off on a massive 300MW floating solar project in Batang Berjuntai, about an hour from Kuala Lumpur. Developer EDRA Global Energy chose the site specifically because it sits on abandoned mining lakes, transforming wasted land into a powerhouse for renewable energy.

The project sprawls across 437 hectares of former mining territory in Selangor state. When it switches on in July 2027, it will rank among Southeast Asia's biggest floating solar installations.

Zhang Chaoqun, chairman of parent company CGN Energy International Holdings, says the floating farm exceeds conventional solar standards. "As the first large scale floating project of CGN, its standards and controls in equipment, technology and safety exceed those of conventional land based projects," he explained.

The facility chose water over land for good reason. Floating panels don't compete with farms or buildings for space, making them perfect for crowded regions. They also stay cooler on water, which boosts efficiency.

China Energy Engineering Group is handling construction over the next 20 months. The work includes installing solar panels, building power stations, and connecting transmission lines to feed electricity into Malaysia's grid.

The Ripple Effect

This project shows how old industrial sites can power tomorrow's clean energy needs. Mining operations often leave behind scarred landscapes and toxic lakes that sit unused for decades. Malaysia's floating solar model proves these forgotten spaces hold untapped potential.

The abandoned mining pit model solves two problems at once. It generates renewable electricity without touching farmland or forests, and it gives purpose to land that might otherwise stay idle forever.

Malaysia selected this project as part of its fifth Large Scale Solar program, a national push to expand renewable energy. The country's parent company CGN Energy International now operates over 5 gigawatts of installed capacity across Malaysia.

Similar projects could multiply across Southeast Asia, where space constraints make traditional solar farms challenging. Abandoned quarries, reservoirs, and industrial ponds offer countless locations for floating installations.

Twenty months from now, this transformed mining lake will generate enough clean electricity to power tens of thousands of Malaysian homes, proving yesterday's scars can become tomorrow's solutions.