Dr Rundi hits the gong to mark the official opening of the meeting.a
BINTULU: The Borneo Grid is a step closer towards becoming a reality with the commissioning of the 275kV interconnection linking Mambong in Sarawak and Bengkayang in West Kalimantan in January 2016.
This was highlighted at the 5th BIMP EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East Asean Growth Area) meeting for the Power and Energy Infrastructure Cluster (PEIC) here yesterday.
“Congratulations to all involved in the implementation of our first BIMP-EAGA interconnection project.
“Driven by private entities Sarawak Energy Berhad and PT PLN (Persero) and with the strong support and backing of both governments, this is the first power interconnection between the two member countries of BIMP-EAGA,” said Minister for Utilities Sarawak Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom in his keynote address.
Recognised as a flagship project under BIMP-EAGA, the interconnection provides for the transmission and sale of electricity between the two states.
He said it builds the foundation for the realisation of the Borneo Grid which can potentially be the catalyst for the expansion of socio economic activities for both sides.
Dr Rundi believed it could also initiate harmonisation of the policy environment and contribute towards materialising the greater Asean power grid masterplan.
“With this, we can chart the future plans on how we can work together in other areas for the mutual benefit of Sarawak and West Kalimantan, not just for power export activities but also in the telecommunications sector as well as the exchange of knowledge in similar challenges such as rural electricity,” Rundi added.
The successful pioneering of Sarawak-West Kalimantan interconnection he said had established and implemented a power trading regime and provided the model for future power grid interconnection.
Group chief executive officer of Sarawak Energy Sharbini Suhaili said since the interconnection, Kalimantan Barat has displaced between 50MW to 130MW of diesel power with electricity from Sarawak.
“We believe that this translates into cost savings as well as lower carbon emissions for PLN and Kalbar, whom are our first export customer,” he said.
He said about 75 per cent of Sarawak’s energy are sourced from renewable hydropower with the remaining 25 per cent from indigenous coal and gas sources.
“Interconnection projects are widely implemented in developed countries to enhance reliability for secured energy supply for most critical load system and are widely regarded as beneficial to both parties.
“However, this can only be realised with the spirit of cooperation. The challenges in the implementation of this project such as the different electrical standards were resolved with the strong support and cooperation from our PLN counterparts in West Kalimantan,” Sharbini said.
He said this expands opportunities for Sarawak Energy on its journey towards becoming a regional power hub for Asean.
“Currently Sarawak Energy is maturing discussion for interconnections with our neighbours Sabah and Brunei Darussalam,” Sharbini added.
PLN general manager Bima Putrajaya acknowledged that interconnection project had improved the economic sectors in West Kalimantan.
“Since the implementation of this project, we are able to provide sufficient power and has enabled the other sectors that require electricity to complete their works within the time frame,” Bima said, adding that PLN consumers are benefiting from this collaboration.
He said this project has led to economic improvement in various sectors especially those that relied on electricity power.