BINTULU, April 17 — The 8,000-hectare Samalaju Industrial Park (SIP), about 60km from here, will be expanded to accommodate more spaces for investors, said Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg today.

He said the expansion will be carried out until the year 2030.

"As we want to expand SIP, we must put in place the necessary infrastructures and facilities first,” he said at the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration organised by the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA), here today.

Implemented by the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) and BDA, SIP was launched in 2008. It is a hub for heavy and energy intensive industries such as priority industries in steel, aluminum, glass, and oil and gas.

He said as a start, the power supply in Bintulu will be increased by 1,000 megawatts under the first phase and another 500 megawatts under the second phase.

He said the implementation of these two phases, which will be generated by gas turbine power plants, commences this year and they are expected to be commissioned in 2028.

"This means that Bintulu will have an additional 1,500 MW of power by 2028,” he said.

He added that Petronas and other sources have agreed to increase the supply of gas from 450 million cubic feet to 1,200 million cubic feet for Bintulu.

Abang Johari said the increase is due to the clear direction of the state government in the development of gas-based industries.

He said with the take-over of Bintulu Port by the state government from Putrajaya this year, Bintulu’s economy is expected to be more vibrant.

He said the federal government is due to table a Bill in Parliament in June this year to repel the Bintulu Port Act to enable the port to be returned to Sarawak.

"I have a plan for the port, but I will reveal it at the right time later.

"Hopefully, when we take over the port, it will become an important hub in South-east Asia,” the premier said.

Abang Johari stressed that after Kuching, Bintulu will be next to have an autonomous rapid transit (ART) system.

He added a feasibility study on the ART line from Samalaju to Bintulu is ongoing by a team engaged by the state government.