Torstein at the plenary session of the Power-Gen Asia 2014 Conference.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) could help realise the much-anticipated Asean Power Grid.
Its chief executive officer (CEO), Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit, a panellist at Power-Gen Asia 2014 Conference’s plenary session entitled ‘Delivering Asia’s Sustainable Power Growth: The Strategic And Technology Challenge’, said the state-owned utility company could play a key role as it had performed strongly over the years.
In addition, Sarawak had abundant supply of hydropower potential.
According to Sjotveit, SEB currently generates up to 13 TWh per year from hydro, gas and coal.
“We look forward to supporting the peninsula and Sabah. In addition, Sarawak Energy has been running at a profit for decades, so we are self-sustaining. All these place us in a strong position,” he said.
Other panellists were Energy Commission Malaysia CEO Datuk Ahmad Fauzi Hasan, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) senior general manager Charanjit Singh Gill, Marubeni Asian Power Singapore Pte Ltd senior vice president (development) Cyril Cabanes, and East Asia Pacific senior vice president Wouter Van Wersch.
IHS Consulting-Energy and Natural Resources managing director Mark Hutchinson played moderator.
Earlier, the panellists agreed that energy demand in the region would increase, and Peninsular Malaysia would need Sarawak’s supply.
Charanjit said TNB posited that Sarawak would contribute in a big way to the peninsula’s power needs in the future, and Ahmad Fauzi concurred.
“TNB looks to Sarawak not just for its hydro potentials but also a basket of technologies. Power can come across to the peninsula as the technology (to transmit) is well established.”
Torstein said truly sustainable renewable energy resource in this region was hydropower, and Sarawak, Kalimantan, and Myanmar were actively pursuing it.
Given hydropower’s ability to produce at an average competitive cost of US$0.05, Torstein said this alternative renewable energy source would drive the economic growth in the Asean region in a big way.
Hydropower, he added, was a much better and more sustainable energy source for Sarawak when compared to sources such as solar.
“If you look at Bakun, it is producing 20 TWh annually. If we were to build solar that gives an equivalent of 20 TWh, it would take about 500 square kilometre of solar panels and cost more than RM100bil.
“This is what I mean when I say sustainability is a balance between economic growth, social, technology, and the environment.”
The discussion also touched on energy generation from coal, still favourable despite carbon dioxide (CO2) emission issues.
Torstein said developed countries created the bulk of CO2 emissions; thus, the Western world should focus on solving this issue and not impose heavy carbon tax on developing nations.
This was SEB’s third outing at the Power-Gen Asia conference, organised in conjunction with Asean Power Week in Kuala Lumpur from Sept 10 to 12.
The company’s dynamic growth over the years had caught the attention of conference producer, Penn Well, who then invited SEB to join as a supporting organisation.
At this conference, SEB’s team participated in five sessions: Joint Plenary Session Utility Perspectives on Integration, Hydro Power Project Development, Hydro Power New Technologies, Solar Project Development, and Tough Planning Challenges.
Papers presented included ‘Lessons from the Sarawak/West Kalimantan Interconnection’, ‘Hydropower Development in Sarawak’, ‘Solar Hybrid Schemes for Electrifying Remote Villages in Sarawak’, and ‘Rural Electrification Masterplan for Sarawak.’
Asean Power Week attracted about 7,000 participants, mostly professionals in the power generation sector, from over 70 countries.