Country Heights founder eyes production of mini-hydro sets to generate power and harvesting of rainwater for ‘export’.
Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, founder of the Country Heights group of companies, is embarking on new ventures, including building mini-hydro sets to supply power to rural areas.
Lee is also looking at the possibility of transporting untreated water from Malaysia to developing countries like South Africa.
To spearhead the development of the hydro sets, Lee’s private investment arm, Solar LED Sdn Bhd, will spend RM5 million to set up a factory in Pajam in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.
As a pilot project, the company plans to produce 100 mini-hydro sets, each capable of producing nine kilowatt (kw) of power.
“Each hydro set will be able to supply power to three houses. Hopefully we will get the licence to supply power to rural areas,” Lee told Business Times yesterday.
Lee said Solar LED had signed a memorandum of understanding with Feng Jia University of Taiwan to study the viability of the hydro project.
Solar LED is also in discussions with the university to conduct a study on how to channel water from Malaysia to developing nations.
“The idea is to harvest rainwater and transport them overseas at a reasonable cost. We are still brainstorming. We are thinking of using tugboats to transport the water.
“I am not looking at making billions of ringgit from these ventures. It is more on humanitarian grounds and for the future generations.
“I have 10 to 20 ideas, some of which will be implemented through private investments,” he said.
An established businessman and an innovative entrepreneur, Lee has more than 30 years of experience in residential, industrial park, hotel and leisure, commercial and recreation projects.
Lee is the founder of Country Heights Holdings Bhd and the 625ha The Mines Resort City. He also sits on the board of Golden Horse Palace Bhd, Mines Excellence Golf Resort Bhd, Plentiful Gold-Class Bhd, Bluwater Developments Bhd and a few other private firms.
