China-based Kibing Group is set to establish a large solar glass manufacturing plant in Kimanis, Sabah, approximately 40 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu, the state capital in Malaysia. The project, worth RM 7.2 billion (around USD 1.5 billion), was formalized with the signing of agreements between Kibing’s subsidiary, SBH Kibing Solar New Energy (M) Sdn Bhd, and two state government-linked companies.
The planned facility will have an installed capacity of 25 gigawatts (GW), making it one of the largest solar glass manufacturing plants in the region. The first agreement involves a sublease between SBH Kibing Solar New Energy and Fokasrama Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Sawit Kinabalu Group. This sublease will enable Kibing to develop the solar glass plant on the leased site.
The second agreement is a heads of agreement between SBH Kibing Solar New Energy and Sabah Energy Corp Sdn Bhd (SEC). This contract secures a supply of 45 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas from SEC to power the plant. SEC, Sabah’s main natural gas provider, plays a key role in supplying energy to support Sabah’s industrial growth.
SBH Kibing signed a memorandum of understanding with the Sabah government in June to expand its investment in the state. The development of this plant in Kimanis is part of the company’s broader plan to support Sabah’s renewable energy infrastructure and expand its reach in the global solar energy market. This facility will also build on Kibing’s existing solar glass plant at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP).
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who attended the signing event, noted that the project could create local jobs and boost Sabah’s economic growth. The company has already invested over RM 3 billion (approximately USD 630 million) in its silica sand processing and solar glass manufacturing facility at KKIP.
