Kuala Lumpur, July 26 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group is set to strengthen its foothold in Malaysia’s rail sector in tandem with the government’s plans to improve intra and inter-city connectivity to boost trade, economic growth and mobility under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
At the official launch of the ABB Forum on ‘Powering the Rails in Malaysia’ themed ‘Efficient and Reliable Solutions for Sustainable Mobility ’, YB Dato’ Seri Kong Cho Ha, Minister of Transport Malaysia said, “As Malaysia stands at the brink of a new economic order envisaged under the 10
th Malaysia Plan, the deployment of an efficient and reliable transport system is vital to ensure safe and reliable movement of people and goods. We cannot assume that solutions that have served us well in the past will continue to serve us in the future”.
In tandem with the government’s five-year development plan to improve livability of Greater Kuala Lumpur, public transport services has been included as a National Key Results Area (NKRA) under the Government Transformation Program. This includes investment in a high-capacity Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) system which is a 51km line that runs from Sungai Buloh through the Kuala Lumpur City Center to Kajang. When completed in 2016, the KVMRT will serve a total population of 1.2 million per day, currently inadequately served by rail-based networks.
The KVMRT project will also complement the extension of the light rail transit coverage which involves the Ampang and Kelana Jaya lines. The project comprises a 17.7km track for the Ampang line which will cover densely populated areas in Puchong whilst the Kelana Jaya LRT line will be extended by approximately 17km to Subang Jaya and USJ. Award for the Kelana Jaya Line has been concluded last month whilst award for the Ampang line is currently under evaluation.
Under the 10th Malaysia Plan, the electrified double track rail project from Gemas to Johor Baru, estimated to cost RM8 billion, is also planned for implementation, thus completing the electrified double track rail artery from Padang Besar in the north to Johor Baru in the south. This will pave the way for cleaner and more efficient solutions to be deployed in Malaysia’s inter-city transportation model.
In his welcoming address, ABB Region Manager and Country Manager of ABB Malaysia Sim Boon Kiat said, “Across the globe, a fundamental shift is taking shape to tackle the changing paradigm for safe movement of people and goods in a way that uses energy resources efficiently, without causing adverse impact to the earth and its environment. The challenge is complex and rapidly evolving but the solutions are crucial in improving mobility, fostering livability, enabling prosperity and promoting sustainability for future generations.
“The demand for new railways, the electrification of existing ones and increase in rail traffic are placing increasing demands on our energy infrastructure and as a major player in the power and automation sector, ABB is poised to offer a wide range of expertise and experiences in cutting-edge technologies which make rail vehicles and traction power supply systems more reliable and energy-efficient and subsequently more environmentally friendly,” he added.
ABB’s grid management technologies ensure power is delivered reliably while maintaining stability of the supplying grids. To transfer power to the railways, ABB provides substations and components (including transformers, frequency converters, switchgear and FACTS devices). In the rolling stock, ABB’s offerings notably include traction transformers, traction converters, switchgear, motors and turbochargers.
ABB’s global footprint, strong technology base, and innovative products and solutions are helping to transform the rail network in growing economies such as China, India and South Africa as well as developed countries such as France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In Malaysia, ABB has played a vital role in the power supply of the North-South electrified double track project, taking the rail sector to the next level of efficiency and reliability.
“I’m confident that our unique position combined with our ability to work with different market players in different types of rail applications will enable ABB to position itself favourably in Malaysia’s growing rail sector,” Sim concluded.
The ABB Rail Forum was held at the Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur and attended by more than 50 industry leaders and professionals from the rail sector including Yang Berusaha Dr Aminuddin bin Adnan, President, KTM Berhad; Mr M.Selvarajoo, Deputy Director, Infrastructure & Utilities, EPU; Puan Norlia Noah, General Manager of Infrastructure Development, Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad; and Mr Alain Lemay, Senior Vice President, Asia, SNC-Lavalin.
About The ABB Group
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 130,000 people.
ABB Malaysia is part of the ABB Group and employs over 600 staff. Our core business comprises five divisions mainly Power Systems, Power Products, Process Automation, Discrete Automation and Motion, and Low Voltage Products.