PETALING JAYA: Malakoff Corporation Bhd’s 429-megawatt (MW) GB3 power plant in Lumut, Perak, has resumed commercial operations almost three months ahead of schedule under a new power purchase agreement (PPA) with Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).
The plant, operated by Malakoff’s subsidiary GB3 Sdn Bhd, resumed operations on Oct 7, ahead of the scheduled commercial operation date of Jan 1, 2027.
The plant had been out of service since December 2022, with its return following new PPAs secured by Malakoff for GB3 and Segari Energy Ventures Sdn Bhd (SEV) in May 2026.
The agreements were secured under the Energy Commission’s Project Category 1 competitive bidding exercise for new generation capacity in Peninsular Malaysia for the 2025 to 2029 period. The new GB3 PPA runs until Dec 31, 2029.
With a capacity of 429MW, GB3 operates as an open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) plant, which can start up quickly to meet surges in electricity demand and provide additional generation capacity to the national grid.
Malakoff said the plant’s early return comes amid rising electricity demand driven by industrial expansion, digitalisation and energy-intensive sectors such as data centres.
Together with the SEV plant, which is scheduled to resume operations no later than July 1, 2027, the Lumut Power Plant will provide a combined generation capacity of 1,732MW to the national grid.
Malakoff’s Prai power plant in Penang, the first of the group’s three extended plants, resumed operations on April 9, 2026.
Group CEO Syahrunizam Samsudin said the early return of GB3 would provide an additional 429MW to support the country’s energy security.
He said extending existing power generation assets was a practical and cost-efficient way to strengthen electricity supply as the infrastructure was already in place.
“The new PPA is also expected to contribute positively to Malakoff’s earnings and net assets over the extension period and will keep our Energy business strong as a core driver of the Group,” he said in a statement today.
