KUALA LUMPUR: Malakoff Corporation Bhd

's subsidiary, GB3 Sdn Bhd, has resumed commercial operations at its 429-megawatt (MW) open-cycle gas turbine power plant in Lumut, Perak, nearly three months ahead of schedule.

In a statement, Malakoff said the plant commenced commercial operations on Oct 7, ahead of the scheduled commercial operation date of Jan 1, 2027, under its new power purchase agreement (PPA) with Tenaga Nasional Bhd

(TNB).

The GB3 plant, which was last operational in December 2022, resumed operations following the signing of new PPAs for GB3 and Segari Energy Ventures Sdn Bhd (SEV) in May 2026.

The agreements followed Malakoff's successful bid to extend the operations of three gas-fired power plants under the Energy Commission's competitive bidding exercise for new generation capacity in Peninsular Malaysia from 2025 to 2029.

The new PPA for GB3 will run until Dec 31, 2029.

Malakoff said the GB3 plant, which has supported electricity supply in Peninsular Malaysia since 2001, provides additional peaking capacity to meet surges in electricity demand and strengthen the grid's reserve margin.

Together with the SEV plant, which is scheduled to continue operations no later than July 1, 2027, the Lumut Power Plant will provide a combined generation capacity of 1,732 MW to the national grid.

Malakoff's Prai power plant in Penang, the first of the three plants to secure extensions, resumed operations on April 9, 2026.

Group chief executive officer Syahrunizam Samsudin said the early resumption of GB3's operations would help meet Malaysia's growing electricity demand, driven by industrial expansion, digitalisation and investments in data centres.

"Electricity demand in Malaysia keeps growing as the economy expands and new investments, particularly data centres, come into the country.

"For the grid to keep up, it needs sufficient, dependable capacity that it can count on at all times. With GB3 back in operation earlier than scheduled, an additional 429 MW is now available to support the country's energy security," he said.

Syahrunizam said extending the operations of existing power plants was a practical and cost-efficient way to strengthen electricity supply, given that the infrastructure was already in place.

He added that the new PPA was expected to contribute positively to Malakoff's earnings and net assets over the extension period.

"With Prai and GB3 now running, and SEV to follow next year, we are making good use of plants that have served the country well for many years," he said.