KUCHING, Sept 4 — Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg today said that Sarawak has the potential to generate 20,000 megawatts (MW) of hydropower if more dams are built.
“Therefore, the potential to export electricity will also be enhanced,” he said in his keynote address at the World Green and Sustainability Summit here.
He said Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) currently owns Bakum, Murum and Batang Ai dams and it is currently constructing Baleh dam which is capable of generating 1,285 megawatts of power and will be commissioned by 2027.
He said SEB is already exporting electricity to West Kalimantan, Indonesia and will be exporting to Sabah by 2024.
“We are looking into exporting electricity to Singapore and Brunei as well,” the premier said.
Abang Johari said the state government is in the midst of studying the concept of cascading dams to produce power, similar to Tasmanian and Nordic countries such as Sweden.
The premier also invited investors, environmentalists, and financial institutions to collaborate in transforming Sarawak’s green economic landscape.
He said the shift towards a sustainable economy in Sarawak will undoubtedly demand profound investment and innovative financing solutions.
“We are open to partnerships focusing on the greener supply and value chains across all sectors,” he said.
He added that Sarawak plans to be a regional powerhouse in renewable energy and aims to generate 15 per cent of income from foreign markets through the renewable energy sector.
“To achieve this, we are increasing interconnectivity with other regions through 1,400 kilometres (km) of new transmission line of 500 kilovolts (kV) including 600 kilometres (km) of undersea cable across the South China Sea,” he said.
