Participants in the engagement session for community leaders in a photo call.
KUCHING: Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) held a community leaders engagement session to prepare stakeholders for the upcoming Matang-Samariang and Tondong-MJC Transmission Lines environmental impact assessment (EIA) study.
According to the corporation, the session forms part of SEB’s commitment to adopting best practices in a sustainable manner for its projects, including early community engagement.
Conducted in collaboration with Kuching District Office, the session involved 40 community leaders who were briefed and provided with feedback on the 11km Matang-Samariang 132 KV and 32km Tondong-MJC Transmitting Tower 132 KV transmission lines.
SEB senior manager of EIA Johari Atok led the discussion on the EIA, requirements and on the field works currently being carried out for the project covering physical, environmental and socio-economic impact on the affected areas.
“We subscribe to the free, prior and informed principle to allow communities to voice their opinions and grievances on proposed projects which may affect them directly or indirectly. Community engagements are an integral part of this,” he said in his remarks.
Also present was Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Batu Lintang branch chairman Sih Hua Tong who described the session as a proactive approach on SEB’s part that allowed the community a forum to voice their concerns firsthand.
The Matang-Samariang 132KV transmission line is expected to enhance power supply reliability for Samariang, Matang Hub and Metrocity. It will also cater for the anticipated growth in those areas and in the near future, and will supply electricity to Institut Aminuddin Baki, D-Cove mixed development, Samariang Resort City, Petra Jaya affordable housing programme and Samariang Industrial Park.
The Tondong-MJC Transmitting Tower 132 KV transmission line will alleviate the load from Muara Tabuan 2 132/33KV and Stakan 132/33KV.
This will serve as the new transmission injection point for the area and cater for ongoing and future development.
To further strengthen the overall network, the 500kV transmission backbone is being completed and will run roughly parallel to the present 275kV transmission grid.
The completion of this project is crucial to enhance the reliability and security of the state grid and to lower the risk of major power outages in Sarawak’s southern load centres by providing additional transmission capacity from hydro, gas and coal power plants in the north.