Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has started construction of the 200-megawatt Chereh Dam floating solar plant in Malaysia, its first project in the country, with partners Citaglobal and TIZA Global.
The partners reached financial close on October 27, raising about RM580 million from three international lenders, according to a statement published by Gulf Today.
The plant in the state of Pahang is expected to begin operations in 2028. It is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 100,000 homes and create about 1,500 jobs during development and construction.
Project company Chereh Solar signed a power purchase agreement with national utility Tenaga Nasional in December 2025. The agreement covers 21 years from commercial operation.
The consortium won the project in a competitive tender under Malaysia’s Large Scale Solar Cycle 5+ program, with the lowest tariff in the floating solar category, Citaglobal said in a Bursa Malaysia filing reported by The Star.
Southeast Asia expansion
Chereh is the first project under a 10-gigawatt renewable energy roadmap Masdar agreed with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority in 2023. Masdar is also studying a large floating solar installation at the Murum reservoir in Sarawak.
The company built the 145MW Cirata floating solar plant in Indonesia.
“Malaysia is a strategically important market for Masdar, with rising electricity demand, strong renewable energy potential and growing investment in advanced industries and digital infrastructure,” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar.
