Dr Rundi: Sarawak on track to achieve 100 per cent electrification before 2025

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Dr Rundi (fifth right) at the launch of the RES programme at the longhouse. At fourth right is the longhouse chief Stia Rimau.

KUCHING: The Sarawak government and the Ministry of Utilities, through Sarawak Energy, are intensifying efforts to ensure reliable and affordable electricity supply for 99 per cent of households in Sarawak by 2020, and full electrification before 2025.

Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi said the ministry is working closely with Sarawak Energy to accelerate delivery of rural electrification projects to achieve this ambition.

“We have a strong strategy and an efficient delivery mechanism to ensure 97 per cent of rural households in Sarawak will have electricity by end of 2020 from the current rural electrification rate of 92 per cent,” he said when launching the Rural Electrification Scheme (RES) programme at Rumah Stia Rimau in Suai, Niah recently.

Based on a statement issued by Sarawak Energy yesterday, rural electricity coverage increased to the current 92 per cent from 87 per cent in 2016.

Full electricity coverage is expected to be achieved before 2025, said the statement.

Dr Rundi added: “Under the Sarawak Accelerated Rural Electrification Master Plan, we are intensifying efforts to provide electricity to longhouses and villages that are still without this basic need.”

RES involves extending grid lines into the interior.

Other strategies under the Sarawak Accelerated Rural Electrification Master Plan to provide reliable and affordable electricity to rural areas include Rural Power Supply Scheme (RPSS) and Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (Sares). The RES programme at Rumah Stia was completed in March last year.