IWK wins the SDG 6 Award at the Global Water Awards 2026 in Madrid for its solar-powered sanitation initiative cutting emissions and costs

KUALA LUMPUR: National sewerage company Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd has won the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) Award category at the Global Water Awards 2026 in Madrid, Spain, last Tuesday.

IWK said in a statement today that the award, presented by Global Water Intelligence (GWI), recognised the company’s entry titled “Solar-powered Sanitation: No Upfront Cost, Cuts Emissions”, which showcased how the use of renewable energy could strengthen wastewater treatment operational performance while driving sustainable infrastructure development and enhancing financial resilience.

IWK said the award-winning programme involved the implementation of solar energy systems at 16 sewage treatment plants nationwide through a Private Financing Initiative (PFI) model.

“This initiative generates a solar energy capacity of 6.3 MWp and produces approximately 7,700 MWh of renewable energy annually to support the treatment of nearly 148 million m3 of wastewater every year.

“The initiative is expected to save approximately RM41.8 million in grid electricity costs while reducing more than 5 Gg of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions annually,” the statement said.

IWK chief executive officer Narendran Maniam said in the same statement that sustainability is at the core of every aspect of the company’s operations, and the initiative reflects IWK’s ongoing commitment to strengthening efforts to ensure sustainability, not only from an environmental perspective but also financially.

Meanwhile, GWI founder, chief executive officer and publisher Christopher Gasson said IWK’s initiative stood out for demonstrating how innovative financing and renewable energy could be effectively integrated into essential sanitation infrastructure.

“By delivering measurable operational, environmental and financial impacts without requiring upfront public capital expenditure, IWK has created a model that utilities around the world can emulate in efforts to achieve SDG 6 and build more resilient water systems,” he said.

The Global Water Awards, held in conjunction with the Global Water Summit, aim to recognise outstanding achievements, leadership in sustainability and technological innovation in the global water industry.

In 2023, IWK also received the Distinction Award at the Global Water Awards in the Public Water Agency of the Year category.