Quick look
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First passenger vehicle manufacturer in Malaysia to achieve the ISO 50001:2018 certification for Energy Management Systems.
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PROTON aims for a 2% annual improvement in energy efficiency across its high-capacity Tanjung Malim manufacturing complex, which can have a major cost impact given its high production volume.
PROTON was Malaysia’s first national automobile manufacturer, established to support the country’s transition towards greater industrialisation as well as develop the domestic automotive industry. Over its 4 decades, PROTON has had many achievements and crossed many milestones as a leader in the industry.
Recently, it added a new milestone relating to sustainability as the first passenger vehicle manufacturer in Malaysia to achieve the ISO 50001: 2018 certification for Energy Management Systems.
The certification is strategically aligned with the Malaysian government’s push for more robust energy management practices under the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Act 2024 (EECA 2024). Furthermore, it supports broader national initiatives including the National Energy Transition Roadmap and the net-zero ambitions of PROTON’s parent company, DRB-HICOM.
Big step forward for sustainability
Awarded by the British Standards Institution, PROTON’s ISO 50001: 2018 certification reflects its investment in having a structured framework to monitor, control and continuously improve energy performance across its manufacturing operations.
Energy management is very important in PROTON’s operations as its manufacturing complex in Perak can produce up to 250,000 vehicles annually. At this scale, energy consumption is linked to production output, making efficiency at the per-vehicle level a critical focus area. Even incremental improvements in energy usage per unit can deliver significant cost impact across total production volume.
PROTON is targeting a 2% annual improvement in energy efficiency, in line with production growth and long-term manufacturing sustainability goals. This has been driven by a structured multi-phase energy roadmap implemented at its Tanjung Malim plant.
Key initiatives such as large-scale solar photovoltaic deployment, energy digitalisation and real-time monitoring, LED lighting upgrades, fan and chiller system optimisation, compressor efficiency improvements, as well as Battery Energy Storage System implementation in the future to manage peak demand.
Setting benchmarks for energy performance
“As the automotive industry evolves, efficiency and sustainability will be key to long-term competitiveness. For PROTON, this means strengthening our capabilities today to ensure our operations remain future-ready, adaptable, and aligned with the direction of global automotive manufacturing,” said Dato Ir. Abdul Rashid Musa, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of PROTON.
“As the first passenger vehicle manufacturer in Malaysia to achieve ISO 50001: 2018, we are also setting clearer benchmarks for energy performance, not just within our operations, but across the broader automotive ecosystem we are building at our Tanjung Malim factory,” he said.
Proton wins National Energy Award for renewable energy initiative
