This article was first published on 12 September 2024, and updated on 04 July 2025.

TNB values employee's growth and is committed in investing in employees' education,ensuring employees acquire the essential skills needed for their current and future roles. Hence, TNB provides its employees in the Group with opportunities to further their academic studies to enhance their skills and knowledge to pursue further education.

By supporting employees in their academic pursuits, TNB not only enhance employees' capabilities, also build a more committed and capable team, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Supporting Our Employees in ET-Related Academic Programs

One of the academic programs we offer our employees is sponsorship for Master and PhD studies related to Energy Transition (ET). These programs are part of the TNB High- Performance Culture initiative, designed to reward and develop outstanding talent, foster continuous improvement, and support TNB’s goal of achieving Net Zero by 2050. By providing advanced education and training opportunities, we equip our workforce with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive the company's sustainability initiatives and innovation efforts. For this sponsorship program, we collaborate with Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), TNB’s tertiary educational institution founded in 1997.

For ET-related Master programs at UNITEN, we offer a Master's in Engineering by Research and a Master's in Energy Management by Coursework on a part-time basis. In January 2024, twenty (20) employees are enrolled, with a total investment of RM733,610.48. These programs help employees gain expertise in critical areas of energy transition, enabling them to contribute more effectively to TNB’s sustainability projects.

The ET-related PhD program began in October 2023. By supporting advanced research, we aim to develop new technologies and solutions to help TNB lead in the energy transition and sustainability sectors. These research initiatives aim to create new technologies and solutions that will help TNB in the energy transition and sustainability sectors. They are critical for addressing complex challenges and finding innovative solutions that can enhance our operational efficiency and sustainability.

Meanwhile, our ET-related PhD program at UNITEN focuses on research areas including Home Modular Energy Storage with Smart Management System and Optimal Planning and Scheduling of Energy Storage System Towards High Penetration of Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicles in Distribution System. Ten (10) employees are involved in these research, supported by a total investment of RM394,540.

Additionally, three (3) of our employees are currently enrolled in the Global Energy Technology Policy Professionals Program (GETPPP), which started in March 2024 at Hanyang University in South Korea. This program is a full-time master program under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of South Korea, with MOTIE covering RM544,236 of the costs and TNB contributing RM47,631. Such an international academic program exposes our employees to global best practices and innovative technologies.

Spearheading Academic Research for TNB's Energy Transition Goals

Participants of the above programmes are engaging in key research areas that align closely with TNB’s ET agenda. These are as follows:

1. Research into Renewable Energy Integration

   The PhD candidates are involved in research projects that align with the company’s decarbonization efforts. These include looking into projects such as developing smart, modular home energy storage systems that reduce dependence on fossil fuels and improve grid stability.

   Improving hydropower resilience amid climate change is another area being looked into, where hydrological impacts are assessed with the integration of machine learning, in order to ensure sustainable operations during certain climatic conditions.

   Last but not least, research is also being conducted into nuclear-hydrogen integration as a clean energy solution for the future.

2. Advancing Sustainable Energy Technologies

   The Master students are currently looking into technologies that include the higher use of renewables and electric vehicles in distribution networks, as well as machine learning for smart meter data for the improvement of grid reliability and the reduction of energy losses.

3. Strengthening Policy and Consumer Engagement

   The Master students are also getting expertise in the energy policy, economics and consumer behaviour, while coming up with actionable insights into energy-saving behaviour and designing energy efficiency campaigns as well as policies, as an example.

4. Global Perspectives on Energy Transition

   Meanwhile, the three staff at Hanyang University are currently being equipped with the best practices in energy policy and technology, allowing them to continue to be well-versed in the ET field.

Along with the above, these programmes help with TNB’s Net Zero goals by:

1. Optimizing costs,
2. Ensuring grid reliability,
3. Improving consumer engagement, and
4. Aligning TNB’s strategies with national and international sustainability targets.

TNB is committed to strengthening its staff capabilities and supporting their professional growth through continued education. According to our records, the company significantly increased its investment in staff scholarships or reimbursements for the furthering of studies, from just over RM160,000 in 2020 to a total of over RM1.76 million in 2024, proving TNB’s commitment in this area.

Partnership of ILSAS with Universities to Develop Training Program for TNB Employees

TNB Integrated Learning Solutions Sdn Bhd (ILSAS) functions as our training arm that nurtures an inclusive environment that appreciates diverse perspectives and experiences. ILSAS collaborates/partners with Universities to provide training for TNB employees to continuously enhance employees’ skills and capabilities, preparing them for future challenges and career growth. The details are as follows:

Revision History:
4 July 2025: Updated on key research areas and related investment in 2024.

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