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“Massive Natural Heritage Destruction at Seguntor – Site for the Sandakan Coal – Fired Power Plant”

Coal plant on but site undecided

Posted by Save Sandakan On May - 18 - 2009

Kota Kinabalu: Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said the Government is not giving up hope to find the most suitable location for the proposed coal-fired power plant in Sabah.

However, he admitted that the setting up of the plant "is not so pressing at the moment", as the short and mid-term measures taken by the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) are expected to address the power demand in the State.

Among the measures were the streaming of the plant by IPP Ranhill Powertron in Sepanggar with the capacity of 190 megawatt by end of this year and a 300 megawatt gas-fired power plant in Kimanis by Petronas, the latest by 2013. Two other projects as solutions were the Upper Padas hydro electric plant and Liwagu Hydro electric plant, both with the capacity of 150 megawatt each.

He said in addition to the 21 mobile generator sets which have a total capacity of 21 megawatt, the Prime Minister had on Thursday agreed to approve an immediate allocation of RM26 million for SESB to buy another 20 mobile generator sets. He said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave the nod when he (Chin) raised the power issue in Sabah.

"The Prime Minister was very concerned and understands well about the electricity supply problem in Sabah because he has been given constant update on the issue by the Chief Minister," he said.

The mobile generator sets would be able to address the load shedding and blackouts in Sabah, he said, adding it would be placed in strategic locations as an immediate relief to the shortage of power in these areas.

"So for the short and medium term (2009 to 2018) we will be able to cater demand for Sabah, he said after paying a courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman at his office in Wisma Innoprise, near here Friday.

Besides the possibility of channeling electricity to the East Coast of Sabah – which is facing acute shortage – from the Kimanis 300 megawatt gas-fired power plant, he said, another possibility was to bring power from the Bakun Dam in Sarawak.

"If the power can be channeled to the peninsula through underwater cable then why can’t (we try for) Sabah," he said. (See separate story).

Nonetheless, he said for the long term the Government could not give precise outlook on the long-term situation of the power supply in Sabah.

In this respect, he said the Federal and State governments would continue to discuss the best site for the proposed coal-fired power plant.

"As the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister I will assure that in terms of power generation it will be the best model (if a coal-fired power plant is to be built in Sabah).

"It is like the one in Sarawak and those in the Peninsular Malaysia. It will not be what some people say as polluting. So far, we are still in discussion with the State Government on this matter."

Chin assured that the measures would be co-ordinated, especially in meeting the deadline.

"We want to assure the people that the Government is a people’s government as mentioned by the Prime Minister People’s First," he added.

When asked to elaborate whether it means that the coal-fired power plant is taking a back seat for now, he said, "we are still looking and we are not giving up but it is not so pressing at the moment

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