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By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Sept 7: Sarawak Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Julaihi Narawi has emphasised that the implementation of the undersea cable project, aimed at exporting electricity from Sarawak to Singapore, is making good progress.
He also reiterated that the Sarawak government, through Sarawak Energy Berhad (Sarawak Energy), had agreed to supply power to Singapore with a cap of 1,000 megawatts (MW).
“The power supply will be from Tondong via the undersea cable and direct to Singapore.
“It is progressing well and hopefully we will be able to get it to materialise soon”, he told reporters during a press conference at the Sustainability and Renewable Energy Forum (SAREF) 3.0 following the launch of the Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association (MPIA) Sarawak Chapter held today at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here.
Julaihi was questioned by the media regarding the current progress of the collaboration on the supply of electricity between Sarawak and Singapore.
In addition, he mentioned that a similar export of power to Kalimantan, Indonesia is currently being implemented.
“We are also having a power exchange programme with our sister state, Sabah, and neighbouring country, Brunei Darussalam,” he added.
On Aug 3, Julaihi led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on Singapore’s Second Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Manpower Dr Tan Lee Seng.
The meeting aimed to strengthen a mutual agreement while establishing initial steps for the supply or export of electricity from Sarawak to Singapore, building on previous discussions.
The collaborative effort capped the electricity supply at 1,000MW. The energy will be transmitted via an underwater cable spanning approximately 720km from Tondong, Sarawak, through the murky waters of the Muri-Midai corridor, and on to Singapore.
Meanwhile, according to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in his speech on the first day of SAREF 3.0 yesterday, Sarawak Energy, along with its partners Sembcorp International and Singapore Power Group, has completed comprehensive technical studies and has advanced commercial negotiations for an interconnection with Singapore, with direct undersea power cables linking Sarawak and Singapore.
Abang Johari also mentioned that Sarawak is venturing beyond the Borneo Power Grid as part of the regional ASEAN Power Grid by becoming interconnected with Singapore.
This was confirmed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who in an event had said Malaysian utility companies, including Sarawak Energy, are progressing in the cross-border business, leveraging the ASEAN Power Grid. — DayakDaily
