KUCHING: Sarawak does not rule out the possibility of extending its power supply beyond national borders, including to southern Philippines via Sabah.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said this follows a request from the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for Sarawak to study the feasibility of extending the power grid connection to the Philippines.
“That proposal is currently under discussion. I will leave the decision to the federal government and if they approve it, we will do our part to help expand the Asean grid.
“With the advanced technology available today, capable of producing the cleanest energy, I am confident Sarawak can contribute meaningfully to the Asean Power Grid (APG).
“We are also exploring the idea of establishing or formulating a policy to support this initiative,” he said this during the welcoming dinner of the 43rd Senior Officials’ Meeting on Energy (SOME) and its associated meetings at Riverside Majestic Hotel here on Monday (Jun 16).
Highlighting Sarawak’s experience in cross-border energy supply, Abang Johari noted that the state has been supplying electricity to Indonesia’s Western Kalimantan for the past six years, forming an early link within the APG network.
“In other words, we have been doing it. Additionally, Sarawak Energy has acquired a 25 per cent equity stake in Mentarang Induk Hydro Power in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
“This demonstrates the ongoing collaboration between Sarawak and its neighbouring regions,” he said.
He further revealed that Sarawak will begin supplying 100 megawatts of electricity to Sabah early next year when its grid is connected to Sabah’s network, thereby paving the way for a possible extension to southern Philippines through Sabah.
Earlier, Abang Johari said that Sarawak is fortunate to have resources that enable hydropower to be generated sustainably.
“At present, we have an installed capacity of seven gigawatts, with 65 per cent from hydropower and the rest from gas turbines.
“And it is the Sarawak government’s intention to increase power supply to 10 gigawatts by 2030.
“To achieve this, we have four more years to add at least another three gigawatts to our capacity while maintaining a mix of 60 to 70 per cent renewable energy from hydropower and the remainder from gas turbines,” he said.
He said construction is underway for a 1.5-gigawatt gas turbine plant, comprising a 1,000-megawatt facility in Bintulu and a 500-megawatt unit in Miri.
“I just came back from Baleh, Kapit, where another hydro plant will produce 1.2 gigawatts. With these developments, we will be able to add three gigawatts to the current installed capacity within the next four years.
“And with a population of just over 2.8 million, we are ready to share our surplus energy with our brothers and sisters in Asean,” he said.
