SHANGHAI: The floating solar project at the Bakun Hydroelectric Plant (HEP) reservoir is slated for completion within the next 18 to 24 months.
Sarawak Energy Group chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili said the initiative is being developed in collaboration with China Three Gorges International Ltd (CTGI) and Shanghai Electric Power T&D Group Co. Ltd.
“We’ve asked them to assist us in studying the development of a solar plant at the Bakun HEP, as the site has a very large water body, and we believe it has strong potential for large-scale solar generation.
“That’s why we’re collaborating with them, along with other partners as well,” he said when met after attending the 18th International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in Shanghai, today.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed during the event between the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication, CTGI, and Shanghai Electric.
Sharbini pointed to the successful completion of a similar project at the Batang Ai HEP within 18 months but said the Bakun initiative may require a slightly longer timeframe.
“If we succeed in delivering this project, it is expected to generate up to 300 megawatts (MW) of energy in its initial phase, which could become the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.
“We hope to gradually increase that capacity in the coming years, ultimately positioning Sarawak as a regional leader in floating solar energy,” he added.
