BAU: Plans for a proposed solar plant in the Singai area have entered a more technical stage following the fourth coordination meeting involving stakeholders overseeing the project.
Deputy Minister for Transport (Riverine and Marine) and Tasik Biru assemblyman, Datuk Henry Harry Jinep, recently chaired the meeting with the project investor-cum-developer to discuss key technical aspects of the proposed development.
During the meeting, detailed land data that will be used by the developer was presented, signalling progress from preliminary planning to technical assessments required before implementation.
Among the key issues discussed was the determination of the project boundaries through detailed land surveys to accurately identify the proposed solar farm site.
The meeting also examined land use, including verification of land status, ownership and its suitability for a utility-scale renewable energy project.
Participants further discussed the planning of access roads and the proposed transmission cable route linking the solar farm to the Sarawak Energy grid at Tondong, an essential component to ensure electricity generated from the facility can be transmitted efficiently.
The project’s potential impact on nearby villages was also reviewed.
Discussions centred on opportunities for Native Customary Rights (NCR) landowners to lease underutilised land for the project, while the construction of new access roads is expected to improve connectivity and provide long-term benefits to surrounding communities.
Henry said the proposed solar farm is intended to create new socio-economic opportunities while supporting Sarawak’s transition towards clean energy.
“This is definitely a socio-economic activity. It will utilise vast areas of underutilised NCR land, create a new rural economy centred on green energy, benefit landowners on a larger scale and support the Premier’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 initiative for green energy,” he said.
He noted that the idea for the project originated from his initiative after identifying the potential of leasing underutilised land in the Singai area for renewable energy development.
However, Henry stressed that the project remains at an early stage.
“For now, the project is still at the initial stage. We have not yet obtained the SPA approval,” he said.
Once approvals are secured, the proposed 100MW solar farm is expected to become one of the significant renewable energy developments in the Tasik Biru constituency, contributing to Sarawak’s long-term green energy agenda while generating new economic opportunities for rural communities.
