RM57 mln to upgrade hydro power station in Tenom

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Razak (third left) in the control room. Also seen are Muhamad Nazri (second left) and Abdul Nasser (second right).

The three turbines that will be upgraded from 22MW to 25MW each.

TENOM: Close to RM57 million was approved under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) for upgrading the electricity generation system in the Pangi hydro power station here.

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) managing director Ir Haji Abdul Razak Sallim said the project would boost the existing power generation capacity of 66 Megawatts (MW) to 75 MW.

“Works have already started in stages since February 28, 2011 and expected to be completed by the end of 2015,” he said during an official working visit to the hydro power station yesterday.

According to Abdul Razak, the project will also take a longer time as the temporary closure of turbine engine needs to be done on a rotational basis.

Razak said this is to ensure the daily electricity needs of users throughout Sabah and Labuan could be met.

“The status of the implementation of this project has now reached 47 per cent. And on behalf of SESB, we are grateful for financial provision from the government to increase the capacity of electricity generated from this station,” he said.

According to him further, this upgraded project is among those announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak when tabling the Budget 2014.

He said the Pangi power station is being upgraded because it is the only hyrdo power station in Sabah which is still in operation since 30 years ago and it is time that the station system is upgraded to support the generation of electricity to consumers in the state.

Razak said there are basically three components for this upgrade, first to raise its generation capacity from 22 MW to 25 MW and the second to change its control system.

“The control system is still too old and large and will change to the more latest and faster for response operations and the third is to upgrade the cooling system in this station,” he explained.

To allow the station to continue to generate electricity efficiently, he said SESB required the cooperation of all parties to jointly maintain the cleanliness of the river with no agricultural activity on its edges, and do not use the river as landfill and agricultural waste.

“That’s why in recent years SESB had to stop the power station because we need to clean the dirt found in the river and this in turn will reduce the state’s generating capacity and when generation capacity is less, it means we resorted to rationing,” he said.

Accompanied Razak on the visit were Senior General Manager (Assets Management), Ir Muhamad Nazri Pazil and Senior General Manager (Assets Development) Ir Abdul Nasser Abdul Wahid.