Sabah launches South-east Asia's biggest battery energy storage system

Sabah has inaugurated BESS Lahad Datu, a 100 MW / 400 MWh battery system that the state describes as Malaysia's first large-scale storage facility and the biggest in South-east Asia by energy capacity. Built for about RM645 million, it was delivered in just over a year after construction began in September 2024.

The project was tendered by Sabah Electricity (SESB) and developed by MSR Green Energy, which handled engineering, procurement and construction, with Sungrow supplying the batteries, power conversion and energy management systems. Power is injected at the Dam Road main substation in Lahad Datu, which is being upgraded to 275 kV.

The battery is meant to stabilise Sabah's east-coast grid, reduce reliance on diesel generation and make room for more renewable energy. In remarks delivered at the launch, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor framed the facility as a step toward a cleaner and more reliable state grid.

One caveat on the superlative: industry trackers note that Singapore's Jurong Island battery holds the largest power rating in the region, so Lahad Datu's claim rests on energy capacity in megawatt-hours rather than instantaneous power. Even so, it marks batteries moving from pilot to backbone infrastructure in East Malaysia. The installed capacity is being expanded to 517 MWh to meet the offtaker's longer-term needs.