By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, May 13: West Malaysia is the next buyer of Sarawak’s electricity after Singapore, Sabah, and Kalimantan.
Minister of Utility and Telecommunication (MUT) Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi said the federal government had approved the proposal for an electricity interconnection project with a capacity of not less than 1,000 megawatts (MW) from Sarawak to West Malaysia.
“The proposed project to connect electricity supply from Sarawak to West Malaysia is still at the preliminary study stage by Sarawak Energy Berhad (Sarawak Energy) and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB),” he said when tabling his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting here today.
When asked about the imposition of charges to West Malaysia, Julaihi, during a press conference afterwards, stated that this matter is still under commercial negotiation and that its outcome will be kept confidential until Sarawak Energy decides to announce it.
He further explained that the electricity export from Sarawak to West Malaysia would be implemented by using an undersea cable passing through Indonesia’s Muri-Midai corridor, similar to the electricity export from Sarawak to Singapore.
“Discussions between Sarawak Energy and Singapore have been very ‘advanced’, and I will leave it to them to decide whether they are using the same cable or whether it is possible technically, but you will have to cross the same Muri-Midai corridor.
“However, I wish to assure you that the subsea cable project is to be underwritten and borne by Singapore. We are selling the electricity only.
“Thus, they (West Malaysia) have to bear it (the cost). Whoever is the buyer (of Sarawak’s electricity) they have to bear the cost. It’s not us. We are only selling the electricity,” he explained.
In the same winding-up speech, Julaihi also informed the august House that the federal government had approved the Sarawak government’s proposal to implement the undersea cable project spanning 720km from Tondong, Sarawak to Changi, Singapore, through Indonesia’s Muri-Midai corridor.
“The current status of the electricity supply interconnection project from Sarawak to Singapore is at the technical research stage, including undersea cable survey work.
“This cable project will be underwritten by Singapore. This interconnection project is expected to operate commercially in 2031,” he said.
In previous reports, Julaihi has also mentioned that apart from Singapore, Sarawak has exported electricity to West Kalimantan with a nominated peak capacity of up to 230MW under the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) since 2016.
In addition, Julaihi has updated the august House that the electricity interconnection project to Sabah will be realised by the fourth quarter of this year, depending on the completion of the transmission network from Miri to Lawas District under Northern Grid Extension. — DayakDaily
