SESB told to explain collapse of tower
Published on: Saturday, April 11, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) has been urged to disclose the real reason behind the collapse of the 132kV Segaliud-Dam Road electricity transmission tower on Thursday."Do not try to protect the instigator of the incident. How can a tower topple? Causes that come to mind include either metal theft or building materials of tower construction or the structure of the tower was not in compliance with standards," said Sri Tanjong Assemblyman Chan Foong Hin.The incident which occurred at about 3.40pm resulted in Lahad Datu, Semporna, Tawau and Kunak now being completely dependent on the power plant in Tawau and Lahad Datu.
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According to a statement by SESB, the existing generation capacity is only capable of up to 137MW while electricity consumption has reached 160MW. This means that some areas in Tawau have to ration electricity during peak hours, in rotation, until a temporary tower is ready which is expected to be early next week.According to another source, the need for electricity in Tawau area during peak hours was 90MW in early 2013, and after the commissioning of the 64MW Kubota Gas-fired Turbine Power Plant in 2013, the generating capacity reached 128MW.These events, he said are a reminder that a major power generating plant is needed in many parts of the East Coast, especially in Lahad Datu and Tawau.
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He said a 300MW coal-fired power plant was proposed in 2006 but it was rejected by the people of Sabah. He also said that according to a report dated Sept 13 last year, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was in talks with SESB for the construction of a main gas power station, by joint venture with Yayasan Sabah with a shareholding ratio of 75:25.
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"The problem is that 1MDB is bound with scandals that became a political hot topic, such as debts reaching RM42 billion. How can a company in debt prioritise the interests of the people?" "Therefore, it is not surprising that according to the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili in December last year the proposed gas-fired power plant is yet to be finalised. Chan said pending the development of the main power plants, generation capacity in the East Coast will be increased in stages beginning in 2016 with the implementation of the SESB Repowering Project that is involving power station in Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Tawau."What is needed now is a rapid construction of power plants that can handle 40 per cent of the electricity shortage in the East Coast."Chan proposed construction of solar PV power plant to replace the Main Gas Power Station in Sandakan."Construction of solar PV power plants take a short time compared with gas-fired power plant. PV solar power plant developers in China have proved that 300MW can be built within a year. "While we are experiencing an electricity shortage this urgent, why do we have to wait another 5 years until 2020 for the Main Gas Power Station?"The 1MDB company has concluded a Power Purchase Agreement with TNB to build a solar PV power plant in Kedah, the largest in the country, which is 50MW.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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