KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) RM12bil joint venture power plant in Jimah, Port Dickson, also known as Project 3B, is on track to be ready by December 2019.

The power giant said on Sunday work on the Jimah East Power (JEP) plant was going on smoothly and more than 40% completed since the plant's first concrete pouring in July 2016.

TNB owns 70% of the project through the acquisition of Edra Global Energy Bhd's stake in JEP from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in July 2015. 

The remaining 30% stake in JEP is equally owned by TNB’s strategic partner, Japanese conglomerate, Mitsui & Co Ltd and one of the Japanese biggest regional power utilities, Chugoku Electric Power.

TNB said its board of directors, led by the chairman, Tan Sri Leo Moggie, who recently visited the project site were impressed with the progress of the project.

 The plant will have two coal-fired units with capacity of 1,000 MW each are being constructed at the site, which is strategically located and is crucial to the security of power supply in Peninsular Malaysia.

 The units will add 2,000 MW of generation capacity and will eventually increase Malaysia's generation capacity from the current 22,748 MW to 26,940 MW by the end of 2020.

 The JEP project will expand TNB's operational portfolio of high-value generation assets from two to four ultra-supercritical coal plants. The other two plants are the 1,000 MW Manjung 4 and the  1,000 MW Manjung 5.

 “These efficient plants are part of TNB's efforts to reduce fuel expenditure in times of rising cost.

“The addition of JEP will further strengthen TNB's domestic and international generation capacity as well as operational track record,” it said.