Kota Kinabalu: The prospect of Sabah being able to benefit from power supplied by Sarawak's Bakun project does not arise and Tenaga Nasional Berhad is, instead, looking in detail at the options available for Sabah in the long term.
"My answer to you (possibility of Bakun power exported to Sabah) is it is not likely, (because) it is already committed," said TNB Chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie.
"But on whether the future hydro potential in Sarawak can be used for Sabah, we don't know because it is an option that needs to have a long-term examination," he told reporters during a question and answer session-cum-briefing with the media at Wisma SESB, Monday.
Moggie said there may have been some misreporting on Sarawak's hydro power capacity. "The Sarawak hydro power capacity is very substantial, having a total identified hydro power capacity of 28,000MW.
"Of that 2,400MW is Bakun's which is now under construction, while the others are not yet except for Murun which is 900MWÉbut the remainder of the 28,000MW are yet to be really developed," he said.
In so far as Bakun and Murun are concerned, both are meant for use in Sarawak as well as for export to the peninsula.
He also said that until now TNB had yet to identify anything that can substitute coal for Sabah and this is why "we engaged another consultant to assist in finding other options or alternatives (for replacing the original idea of using coal)."
"We are not saying we are giving away the plan to have a coal-fired power plantÉwe are open for anything, if there is practical option or alternative available out there," he said, adding that "based on our observation, now there is no other alternative practical option.
"If there are other practical options and workable, sure, why can't we look at itÉwe have always kept our options open."
He said there are two hydro potentials in Sabah, namely the Upper Padas and Liwagu rivers. "We are including these for examination, if and when they should be implemented, to be put in the systemÉthese have not been formalised and firmed up in timing."
Meanwhile, Moggie said the Federal Government has approved additional funding of RM50 million for power supply projects in Sabah. The allocation was approved during a meeting early Monday for implementation of power supply projects in Tenom, Melawa, etc.
However, he cautioned that all these would only meet short-term immediate requirements. "Equally important are the plans we bring forward for long-term supply for SabahÉand that is still the question we need to address."
He said where Sabah's West Coast is concerned, Rainhill Powertron's project unit with a capacity of 65megawatts would be ready by November and it is hoped another 65megawatts will be ready by early next year.
Rainhill is one of the independent power providers.
Another combined cycle would be ready by the first half of 2010, adding these would provide fiscal capacity in the West Coast.
Moggie said TNB is also talking with Petronas and relevant government agencies to initiate the development of the gas-powered power plant in Kimanis.
"Our concern has always been how we will be able to ensure supply in the East Coast. All the power supply generating facilities in the East Coast are now already more than their useful life and always at risk, no longer efficient and reliable," he said.
Hence, the risk of power shortage in the East Coast is always there and SESB may have to use mobile power generating sets.
The 20 mobile generators, costing altogether RM24 million and with a capacity of one megawatt each, that were already installed in Tanjung Aru and Melawa Power Station would provide an additional 20MW of power for Sabah.
"These (mobile power generating sets) are very short-termÉ(and) something has to be doneÉfor more stable power in the East Coast of Sabah," he said.
Moggie said based on the very detailed briefing given by a consultant they engaged to further advise and refine their planning it is reaffirmed that there is a real need for a substantial power base in the East Coast of Sabah.
"We have not yet come to that stage to identify exactly the fuel (source).
Last year we at TNB identified coal as the only practical option. We want to have a second opinion from an outside independent consultant whether there is another option that is available for considerationÉwe will have to wait for that," he said.
"What is important is there is a real need for a power base to be located in the East Coast of Sabah."
On the suggestion by the Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa) to use biodiesel from palm oil for power generating plants in the East Coast, Moggie said Renewal Energy (RE) overall will have an increasing role to play in power sector development many years ahead.
However, the technologies of biofuel, biodiesel, biomass and so on that are now available can only supply a small unit of power in various stages.
"We are talking about a small units of power 1MW, 5MW and 10MW, which is not practical considering the capacity we needÉit is not practical to expect using RE to meet what we require. Thus we will have to still rely on conventional sources of energy we need to have in Sabah, or in Semenanjung or Sarawak," he said.
But this does not mean there is no prospect for RE in the future, he said, adding work in many countries, including in Malaysia, is continuing on how to use RE on a much bigger scale.
"We fully support this. We have assigned our own research group to give a lot of focus on looking at use of REÉbut we don't see this making any meaningful contribution in the next five or more years," he said.
He said it would be part and parcel of the power system development in future but would not make a significant contribution now.
Moggie also refuted talk that the plan to build the proposed coal-fired power plant in the East Coast is part of a bigger agenda by TNB or the country to emerge as a provider of power supply to neighbouring countries.
TNB President-cum-CEO, Datuk Seri Che Khalid Mohamad Noh, and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) Managing Director, Baharin Din, among others were also present.