KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Malaysia’s ETI Tech Corporation Berhad plans to partner with leading global lithium battery company Kokam Co Ltd of Korea for a solar energy storage system project to power up rural Sabah and Sarawak.

It is understood that ETI Tech is already working closely with the Public Works Department on a number of pilot projects in Sabah with a target of eventually introducing the green technology in the interior of the whole of east Malaysia.

The federal government is also understood to be considering proposals to incorporate the introduction of lithium battery packs to replace lead acid batteries being used to store energy from diesel generator sets in rural schools.

ETI Tech is currently involved in a project in Tenom, Sabah where its lithium battery packs are used to store solar-generated power for 41 households in remote Kampung Semambu.

The company claims its lithium packs are more efficient and environmentally friendly compared with conventional lead acid batteries.

In an announcement today, the company said it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with Korea’s Kokam for the supply of the lithium packs in what it calls its Off-Grid Solar Energy Storage system.

Under the MOU, Kokam plans to appoint ETI Tech as its contract manufacturer to produce lithium batteries.

The two companies also plan to collaborate on the marketing and supply of lithium batteries.

Kokam will supply lithium cells for the packs the two companies hope to supply for projects such as the rural electrification of east Malaysia.

The federal government is understood to be considering green technology for rural electrification to cut cost and to be more environmentally friendly.