Sarawak Energy Rural Electrification vice-president Dr Chen Shiun Chen symbolically hands over the solar power system to Tuai Rumah Lucy Matan. From seventh left are Liwan, Nanta, and Song District Officer Jackline August.
KUCHING: Some 550 households in Song, Kapit now have access to 24-hour solar-powered electricity systems, freeing them of noisy and expensive generator sets.
The Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (Sares) project benefits 4,500 residents.
More than 3,100 households from 142 villages in Kapit now have access to 24-hour electricity supply via the Sares initiative, introduced in 2016, which is funded by the Ministry of Utilities and implemented by Sarawak Energy.
“Cooperation from the people is vital in boosting development in Sarawak’s rural areas. I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Utilities Sarawak, Sarawak Energy, and the 28 villages involved for the successful planning, implementation, and collaboration in this Sares project,” said Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, who officiated at the handing over ceremony at Rumah Lucy Matan in Ulu Tekalit, Song on Wednesday.
Assistant Minister of Utilities (Rural Electricity) Datuk Liwan Lagang said the state government is committed to improving the standard and quality of the people’s lives by ensuring they have reliable access to basic necessities such as electricity.
“The Ministry of Utilities and Sarawak Energy continue to work closely to expedite efforts to provide 24-hour electricity to our kampung folk, regardless of how remote their villages are,” he said.
In 2009, Sarawak’s rural electricity coverage was just 56 per cent and grew to 93 per cent by 2019 under various rural electrification initiatives.
Under the Accelerated Rural Electrification Masterplan, the state government allocated RM2.37 billion to further speed up electrification for the remaining 7 per cent, which consists of about 22,360 households.
Sares, an initiative under the masterplan, provides households in remote villages too distant to be grid-connected with either solar or micro-hydro solutions.
With Sares, each household is allotted 3000Wh daily, replacing diesel generator sets with limited running hours.