KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is introducing blended coal at its coal-fired power plant in Lumut, Perak, as part of a continuous effort to ensure a sustainable coal supply for electricity generation.

The introduction of blended coal for the Sultan Azlan Shah Power Station, which produces 20% of Peninsular Malaysia's energy generation, will help secure coal supply for the power plant going forward, the national utility company said in a statement today.

It is also in line with the growing trend among utilities to use blended coal to match power demand with the availability of coal supply, TNB said.

The Sultan Azlan Shah Power Station, which has a generation capacity of 4,100 megawatts, consumes 15 million tonnes of sub-bituminous coal per year.

The power station took delivery of its first blended coal shipment on Dec 31, 2018, at the neighbouring Lekir Bulk Terminal, which is owned by TNB's wholly-owned subsidiary Integrax Bhd.

The coal is imported from Indonesia by another wholly-owned subsidiary, TNB Fuel Services Sdn Bhd, which supplies fuel and coal for the country’s power plants.

TNB Janamanjung Sdn Bhd, the operator of the Sultan Azlan Shah Power Station, will conduct a trial burn exercise and lab analysis to ensure blended coal meet the emission standard and combustion compatibility of the power plant prior to the plant’s usage of the coal.