KUCHING: After Bakun and Murum, there are now plans to build five more hydro-electric dams in Sarawak.
NEW BEGINNING: Awang Tengah (centre) browses through the prospectus of Sarawak Cable. Also in the photo are Mahmud (right) and CIMB Group deputy chief executive officer Dato Charon Wardini Mokhzani.
Public Utilities Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who mentioned this in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, said these dams in Baleh, Baram, Lawas, Limbang and Pelagus would cost RM13 billion to build.
In addition to this, he said Sarawak Energy was expected to build a 40-km long transmission link to connect Miri and Brunei to facilitate the export of electricity to Brunei.
“This is expected to take 18 months to complete,” he said.
Awang Tengah, however, did not say which of the five planned projects would be implemented first.
“SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy) also includes the development of several hydroelectric power generation dams.
“The Bakun dam with installed capacity of 2,400MW and the Murum dam with installed capacity of 944MW are expected to start operations by end of 2010 and 2013 respectively.
“The state government, through Sarawak Energy, is planning to build five more hydroelectric power generation dams worth more than RM13 billion, which include the Balleh, Baram, Lawas, Limbang and Pelagus dams,” he said.
Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management, mentioned this at the prospectus launch of Sarawak Cable Bhd in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
His text of speech was made available to the local media yesterday.
He said the increased demand for power cables and wires in Sarawak and Sabah augured well for companies in the power cable and wire industry such as Sarawak Cable, with principal market in East Malaysia.
“Being a substantial shareholder in Sarawak Cable, we (state government) feel that the (proposed) listing of Sarawak Cable (on Bursa Malaysia) bodes well with the state’s initiative in elevating its economic and social status in the country.
“Sarawak Cable would gain access and be able to tap into the vast equity market both locally and abroad for future business expansion,” he said, adding Sarawak Cable was currently involved in the manufacture and supply of high voltage bare conductors for the ongoing Bakun – Similajau overhead transmission line project.
Also present at the function were Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Larry Sng, Sarawak Cable chairman Dato Sri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, deputy chairman Datuk JC Fong and its managing director and chief executive officer Aaron Toh.