Honda Malaysia switches on 8,960 solar panels at its Melaka plant

KUALA LUMPUR: Honda Malaysia has finished its first solar power project, and the numbers are now out in the open. The company spent roughly RM14 million of its own money to cover the rooftops of its Alor Gajah plant in Melaka with around 8,960 solar panels. Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf bin Yusoh did the honours at the official completion event.

Total installed capacity sits at just over 5.6 megawatts. Honda reckons that will produce about 7,042 megawatt-hours of electricity a year, which translates to roughly 4,584 tonnes less carbon dioxide annually. In Honda's own words, that is about 10 per cent of the plant's total carbon emissions.

Also Read: Honda plans to launch 15 new hybrids by 2030; previews new prototypes

That figure is interesting, because it tells you how much energy a car factory actually chews through. Nearly 9,000 panels across an entire roof, RM14 million spent, and the plant still gets 90 per cent of its carbon footprint from somewhere else.

This is not a criticism of the project just an interesting bit of check on how heavy manufacturing works. Stamping panels, running paint ovens and keeping a body shop alive takes an enormous amount of power, and rooftop space is finite.

Bolted onto the solar array is a Battery Energy Storage System, or BESS, which stores surplus generation for later use. Honda said it is a pioneer among industrial electricity consumers in Malaysia to install one.

The battery matters more than the headline panel count. Solar output peaks around midday and collapses by late afternoon, which is a poor match for a factory running shifts.

Storage smooths that out and lets the plant actually use what it generates instead of exporting it or wasting it. Plenty of large solar installations in Malaysia skip this step because it adds cost, so Honda including one from the start is a genuine tick in its favour.

Honda has also picked up COSIRI certification with a 3.07 star rating. COSIRI is an international index that benchmarks manufacturers on strategy and risk, business processes, technology and governance, so it is a credibility marker rather than a performance number.

Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Narushi Yazaki said, "The completion of this solar power project marks an important milestone in Honda Malaysia's sustainability journey. Beyond reducing our environmental footprint, it reflects our commitment to responsible manufacturing and our aspiration to contribute towards a carbon-neutral future.

"Building on this commitment, Honda Malaysia will further expand its solar power initiative to the Parts Supply Warehouse in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam in 2027, reinforcing our long-term efforts to drive sustainable operations. In addition, our sustainability journey extends beyond our own facilities, as our stakeholders, including Honda dealers, have also embraced environmentally responsible practices such as rainwater harvesting and proper battery disposal initiatives. These collective efforts further contribute to enhancing our overall environmental performance and support our shared vision of a more sustainable future."

Practically speaking, this doesn't translate much in the showroom. Nobody walks into a Honda dealer in Malaysia asking how the plant is powered, and this will not shave anything off the price of a City or a CR-V.

Honda ties the solar work to its expanding e:HEV hybrid lineup, which is the usual move of connecting factory sustainability to product sustainability, and you can take that link as loosely or as seriously as you like.

What it does signal is that Honda intends to keep building cars in Melaka rather than winding the plant down, because you do not spend RM14 million on a roof you are planning to walk away from.

The Bukit Jelutong parts warehouse in Shah Alam is next in 2027. Honda's global target remains carbon neutrality across all products and corporate activities by 2050, which is the same year Malaysia is aiming for net zero.

Also Read: KLIMS 2026: Honda Prelude officially launched in Malaysia, priced at RM 278,000