Review of best practices for global cogeneration policy: Benchmarking and recommendations for Malaysia

Despite the Malaysian government's efforts to promote cogeneration technology, it constitutes a mere 4.2 % of the country's total electricity generation. To address this issue, this review article aims to identify and benchmark global best practices for bolstering cogeneration implementation in Malaysia. While previous studies in this domain have centered on examining government policies within the specific regions, this paper underscores the imperative for an updated and comprehensive literature review to systematically collect and categorise best practices from around the world. This work examines the adoption of cogeneration energy systems within nations characterised by a substantial presence in their energy composition, simultaneously exploring the roles of regulatory frameworks in promoting their uptake. The scope of the literature review includes statistical data, reports, and other relevant scholarly works on cogeneration policies. Based on the findings, the review paper concludes that well-crafted policies are instrumental in encouraging rapid technology advocacy. The legislative landscape pertaining to cogeneration implementation in Malaysia is scrutinised, followed by a comparative analysis against global best practices to identify opportunities for improvement. Three crucial elements emerge as paramount to expediting the adoption: (i) administrative recognition, (ii) financial initiatives, and (iii) regulatory improvements. Several recommendations for the Malaysian cogeneration roadmap are presented. Overall, this paper offers insights into the chronological evolution of cogeneration policy development and provides actionable guidelines for developing effective policies in Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries.