In the morning light along the coast of Melaka, EMPP Power Plant—the largest and most efficient combined-cycle gas-fired power plant in Southeast Asia—continues to deliver clean electricity, powering 10%–12% of homes across the Malay Peninsula. As a flagship project of CGN under the Belt and Road Initiative, EMPP not only demonstrates the deep-rooted development of green energy, but also nurtures youthful aspirations. Among them are Malaysian twin sisters Sofiya and Sara, born after 2000, who have become the “twin blossoms” flourishing on this vibrant energy landscape through their professionalism and passion.

Growing Together: Parallel Paths, One Shared Choice

A natural affinity for numbers and logic has been the sisters’ lifelong bond. “Choosing mechanical engineering felt almost instinctive,” said the elder sister, Sofiya. What mattered most to them was the strength and growth environment of the company. The solid foundation of CGN Edra Power Holdings—the second-largest independent power producer in Malaysia—gave confidence to their decision.

In 2023, Sofiya graduated with First Class Honours from the Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN)—Malaysia’s national energy university—and joined the EMPP Power Plant as a mechanical maintenance engineer. From intern to leading maintenance tasks, guidance from supervisors and trust from the team helped her rapidly strengthen her sense of responsibility and professional capability.Meanwhile, her sister Sara joined through the Apprentice Programme and quickly grew into a capable operation engineer in the Operations Department through hands-on training.

Gender is never a boundary—competence is the true passport. Growing in an inclusive and supportive environment, the sisters are not only each other’s closest partners but also colleagues working side by side, contributing youthful strength to the evolving role of women in clean energy.

Strict, Prudent, Meticulous and Practical: A Sixty-Day Rite of Passage

If choosing this path was the beginning of their story, then the Hot Gas Path Inspection (HGPI)—a major turbine inspection lasting about 60 days—was the sisters’ first true “rite of passage.”

As a maintenance engineer, Sofiya worked with colleagues to dismantle, inspect, and reassemble core components such as combustion chambers, liners, and turbine blades.“Every defects, cracks or falling will impact to the plant's performance,” she explained. Strictly adhering to safety procedures, she coordinated internal and external technical teams, realizing through practice that “precision and rigor” is not a slogan on the wall but a code of conduct embedded in every step to safeguard energy security.

As an operations engineer, Sara demonstrated her commitment through data. She worked through massive datasets—carefully calculating pressure, temperature, and every operational parameter—systematically summarizing activities during the outage and comparing pre- and post-overhaul data to precisely assess changes in unit performance. When her report became a key reference for evaluating overhaul results, she felt a profound sense of achievement: “Data speaks no words, but carries immense power.”

▲Sara at the power plant

Their persistent effort bore fruit. All three units saw significant improvements in net output and efficiency. Sofiya achieved the shift from “reactive maintenance” to “predictive maintenance,” while Sara gained professional recognition. Sixty days of perseverance crystallized into an invisible badge of responsibility and expertise.

Commitment to Community: Where Passion Meets Responsibility

The warmth of the company lies in its multicultural inclusiveness. Whether for Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya, or Christmas, colleagues celebrate together, exchanging festive snacks and blessings. This sense of unity beyond differences gives them the confidence to tackle challenges together. This warmth also translates into their sense of responsibility to society.

▲Edra Lion Dance Performance for the 2025 Lantern Festival

During the 2025 Safety Month, Sara joined the World Environment Day beach-cleaning activity, picking up debris along the shoreline with colleagues from various departments. “Sea water plays an important role in our plant’s cooling process.” Protecting this beach is essentially protecting the ecosystem we rely on. Watching everyone work together to protect the environment deepened her understanding of responsibility—simple actions can strengthen ecological safeguards and turn “commitment” into visible, meaningful practice.

▲beach-cleaning activity

Sofiya was deeply moved by the Edra Education Aid Programme. Seeing children’s eyes light up when receiving stationery, she felt a gentle strength: "Seeing the smiles and excitement on the students’faces when receiving the school supplies reminded me how small efforts can make a big difference in someone’s future." The power of an energy company not only lights up cities—it also illuminates paths of growth.

▲Edra Education Aid Programme

The sisters share a common wish: to visit China and see CGN’s nuclear power plants, experiencing firsthand the rigor and efficiency of China’s nuclear industry. They also plan to pursue master’s degrees to further enhance their abilities and contribute more to Malaysia’s energy sector.

From professional growth to social responsibility, from personal aspirations to a sense of duty to their homeland, the story of Sofiya and Sara embodies CGN’s development philosophy of “internationalization, localization and sustainability”. On the green journey of the Belt and Road Initiative, more young people like them are joining hands, using youth and passion to bring the light and warmth of clean energy to a shared future for humanity.