By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 8: Sarawak’s target to achieve 15 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2035 is an ‘ambitious but very possible’ goal, says Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) chief executive Danial Rahman.
In a recent report by Nikkei Asia, Danial, a local think tank, noted that the growing regional demand meant there should be plenty of customers for its excess power.
“However, Sarawak does have to keep an eye on local energy access as some areas still have electricity stability challenges, and hydro does have a detrimental impact on the environment and local communities,” he was quoted saying.
He also added that the key challenge was whether Sarawak would be able to nurture the right talent and attract sufficient investment for these ambitions.
In the same report, Nikkei Asia cited that Sarawak’s energy generation capacity is currently at 5.7GW, of which 62 per cent is provided by hydropower through the Batang Ai, Bakun, and Murum dams.
Gas accounts for 21 per cent, coal 16 per cent, and diesel one per cent, while alternative energy like biomass, solar hybrid, and micro-hydro plants contribute less than one per cent.
In May, it was reported that the energy demand in Sarawak stood at 4.7GW or 80 per cent of its capacity. Demand is expected to rise to 6.7GW by 2030, which is also prompting the move to invest.
The Baleh Dam, with a capacity of 1.3GW, is under construction and set to be operational by 2027, delivering the next major uplift in capacity.
Sarawak is expanding its renewable energy network, leveraging its rivers and clean energy surplus. It currently supplies energy to Indonesia and soon, Brunei, through the Borneo Grid and is in talks to supply up to 1GW to Singapore by 2031.
The Singapore project, involving Sarawak Energy and Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries, includes a 700-kilometre undersea high-voltage cable, with Singapore handling construction over six to seven years. Financing is under negotiation, with Keppel Corporation expressing interest.
Additionally, Sarawak is also exploring power supply to Johor.
Sarawak has also partnered with Abu Dhabi’s Masdar company to develop floating solar panels at the Murum Hydroelectric Plant, aiming to generate up to 1GW, which would surpass the largest current floating solar project–320 megawatts (MW) floating solar project in China. — DayakDaily
