A country of new energies

Tea plantations, dream beaches, coral reefs. And above all, a vast expanse of rainforest, over 130 million years old. This is Malaysia, which spreads over the Malay peninsula and the island of Borneo, and is covered (70% on the peninsula and 95% on the island) by the oldest primary forest on the planet. A dense, mysterious jungle, where Emilio Salgari imagined the adventures of his Sandokan, the 'Tiger of Malaysia', the only surviving descendant of a family of the rulers of Borneo, engaged in a never-ending struggle against the white invaders.

However, in reality, it was neither Sandokan nor his rebel army who freed Malaysia from centuries of colonial domination, first under the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British. Indeed, independence came in 1957 (although the country remained in the Commonwealth). Thus began the story of a modern and independent country, with 35.6 million inhabitants and a truly unique mix of cultures (Malay, Chinese, Indian and European). 

Kuala Lumpur, its capital, is a modern and cosmopolitan city where colonial and traditional Asian architecture mixes with futuristic skyscrapers, such as the iconic Petronas towers, which stand 480 metres high.

Another icon of modern Malaysia lies in Pahang state, two hundred km north of Kuala Lumpur and its iconic towers. Ulu Jelai is the country's most impressive and efficient hydroelectric project. 

Completed from 2011 to 2020, by a group of companies led by Salini Costruttori (which later merged into the Webuild Group), the dam on the Bertam River stands in terrain pummelled by tropical storms It was built with roller compacted concrete, i.e. with one thin layer of concrete at a time (190,000 m³ in all). It is also the only Malaysian dam of this type for energy production as well as water storage. 

Measuring 85 metres high and 512.5 metres in length, it has a volume of around 750,000 m³; the height difference between the reservoir and the river into which the water is released, is approximately 360 metres: a gigantic leap which considerably increases the plant's generating potential, making it the most efficient in the country. Between 4 and 5 million m3 of earth and rock were excavated and moved to achieve this. 

The electricity produced here, up to an annual 326 GWh, has encouraged and supported the growth and diversification of the Malaysian economy, which has recently expanded from the cultivation of flowers and tea to the production and export of palm oil, household appliances, electronic components and other manufacturing industry products. 

Ulu Jelai had and still has an essential role in attracting foreign investments and reducing poverty, which the country has almost eradicated, as the World Bank has also confirmed. And, last but not least, the environment will see a reduction of 250,387 tons of CO₂ emissions thanks to the abandonment of many fossil fuel-powered generators.