Sorry Dr M, it’s not a good idea

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SEB CEO shoots down idea of cascading dams for state, saying they cannot operate all year round to generate optimal power supply

(Standing, from fourth right) Torstein, Sulok and Wee with the winners of Hydropower Development and Social Progress Awards. — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: The idea mooted by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently to build cascading dams in the state instead of mega conventional hydro electricity power (HEP) dams is impractical and costly to build.

Besides that, although cascading dams would displace fewer people have less impact on the environment the power they produce cost twice as much as that by HEP dams.

Cascading dams also have much lower energy production capacity and are incapable of producing power all year round as they depend on the flow of the

rivers, which means during dry seasons the turbines cannot function.

This was revealed by Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB)’s chief executive officer Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit in his speech at the corporation’s Media Appreciation Night cum Hydropower Development and Social Progress Awards here Friday

“As a developing state, Sarawak has to deliver energy that is cost-effective and produces reliable and affordable electricity that attracts investors, which in turn will spur development. This is our best option to develop the state and increase the standard of living of its people as envisioned under Vision 2020.”

He added that HEP dams would ensure Sarawakians could continue enjoying the lowest power tariff rates in Malaysia and quite possibly, in the region.

He pointed out that apart from power generation, dams could serve a number of purposes including flood mitigation.

He believed that through the management of the water reservoir, flooding downstream could be reduced by regulating the flow of water from the upper reaches of the river.

Sjotveit cited Kapit and Sibu as examples of towns which are no longer hit by flooding as badly as before the Bakun Dam was built.

“I hope that through planned hydropower projects, the impact and severity of floods throughout Sarawak would be reduced in the future. Last week, we held back water flow of 2,800 m³ per second, which in turn protected the whole downstream system of the Rajang.

“I also personally find it surprising that there are still people here who agree with outsiders from ‘developed countries’ about how Sarawak should progress. They can criticise the development in Sarawak and elsewhere because they are developed.”

However, Sjotveit acknowledged that the development of hydropower had to involve displacing communities, especially in the state where the optimal sites for dams would usually be the settlements of the Orang Ulus.

On the other hand, he pointed out that through well-managed resettlement exercises, communities with limited or difficult access to infrastructure and utilities could be brought nearer to opportunities in the field of education, economy, health services, water supply and better road system.

“Hydropower can bring about industrialisation and from there, socio-economic development.

“This has been proven to be a successful development model for many developed nations, which Sarawak is now emulating as we have abundance of hydropower potential.”

At the event, the Hydropower Development and Social Progress Awards were given out to winners of each category; namely Print, Broadcast and Photography. For the Print category, it was further divided into three languages – English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.

The Borneo Post’s Adrian Lim (English), Utusan Sarawak’s Haini Darani (Bahasa Malaysia) and See Hua Daily News’ Hii Kheng Juong (Chinese) took home the top prizes in the Print category while in Broadcast, TV3 was the top winner.

Each bagged RM2,000. On the other hand, the Photography top award went to United Daily News’ Kenny Boon, earning him RM1,500.

The event was also attended by Commonwealth Journalists Association Sarawak Branch acting chairperson Alice Wee and Kuching Division Journalists Association chairman Sulok Tawie.