By: Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab. Kadir

LANGKAWI – The Advanced Lightning, Power and Energy Research (ALPER), Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), has recently shared their expertise and knowledge on lightning technology and safety at the 12th Asia Pacific Conference on Lightning (APL 2023) in Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia.

APL 2023 involved researchers from ALPER UPM, including Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab. Kadir, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jasronita Jasni, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norhafiz Azis, Dr. Wan Fatinhamamah Wan Ahmad and Normaziah Zulkifli.

ALPER UPM’s researcher, Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab. Kadir said through this sharing, ALPER UPM's role in developing policy papers on lightning protection, which is now regulated by the Energy Commission, becomes visible.

"This is in line with ALPER UPM's aspiration to become a specialised global hub dedicated to research and a leader in the field of lightning, power, and energy research," he said.

Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Zainal Abidin, who is also a member of the Steering Committee of the Asia Pacific Lightning, said the conference also received support from agencies such as the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), African Centre for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network (ACLENet), South Asian Lightning Network (SALNet) and Malaysian High Voltage Network (MyHVnet).

"The organisation of APL 2023 is considered timely and well-placed due to the significant impact caused by lightning in terms of safety and protection for the public, property, and livestock," he said.

In addition, the conference, organised by the IEEE Power and Energy Malaysia Chapter, received cooperation from the Energy Commission (ST) of Malaysia, aligning with the EC's role as the regulator for the energy and gas supply sector in Malaysia. The enforcement of the Compliance Directive for MS IEC 62305 – Protection Against Lightning under the Electricity Supply Act 1990 (Act 447) was issued in January 2020 and has now become a legal requirement for all Lightning Protection System (LPS) installations in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, ALPER, Faculty of Engineering, UPM (previously known as the Centre for Electromagnetic and Lightning Protection or CELP and the Centre for Advanced Power and Energy Research or CAPER), is a research centre recognised at UPM, which focuses on R&D and consultancy & services related to lightning, power, and energy subjects. – UPM

Date of Input: 26/06/2023 | Updated: 27/06/2023 | hairul_nizam