By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Sept 3: Sarawak is eyeing Southern Philippines and Singapore as its next potential electricity export destinations as it seeks to extend its power network beyond Borneo through the ASEAN Power Grid, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said Sarawak had already begun supplying electricity to Kalimantan, Indonesia, for about five years, while efforts were also underway to supply Sabah and, soon, Brunei.
“In other words, we have this Borneo Grid. And that we share with our neighbours,” he said during a fireside chat at the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) conference here today.
Abang Johari said the next step could see Sarawak’s electricity network extending beyond Borneo, including a possible connection to Southern Philippines.
“And perhaps from there, there’s a possibility of connecting to Southern Philippines,” he said.
He also disclosed that Sarawak was now discussing with Singapore the possibility of supplying electricity to the island republic.
“The other side of ASEAN is from Laos, Myanmar, through Singapore. We are now discussing with Singapore to produce our power to Singapore,” he said.
The Premier said the expansion was aligned with Sarawak’s role in the ASEAN Power Grid, where the State had been tasked with contributing to regional electricity connectivity.
He said Sarawak was targeting electricity generation capacity of 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and 15GW by 2035.
However, domestic demand is expected to require only about 7GW to 8GW, leaving additional capacity that could potentially be supplied to neighbouring markets.
“So, the balance, we share with our neighbours. Sarawak will play its part for the sake of the whole region,” he said.
Abang Johari said Sarawak’s strength in hydropower would be complemented by other renewable sources, including solar and biomass, as it worked towards meeting growing regional demand for cleaner energy.
He also said Sarawak was exploring technologies such as hydro storage and cascading dams to increase generation capacity while reducing environmental impact.
Under the cascading dam concept, he explained, turbines could be placed along the natural flow of rivers and streams to generate electricity through gravity without requiring large areas of land to be submerged.
The Premier said Sarawak’s abundance of rivers and renewable energy resources placed it in a strong position to contribute to the region’s future power needs.
He said engineers would be crucial in developing the infrastructure and technology needed to make such regional connectivity possible. — DayakDaily
