Malaysia: Sarawak plans five more hydroelectric dams

According to Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, the Sarawak Public Utilties Minister, Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) has completed technical studies for five proposed hydroelectric dams, which together represent over 3000MW of generating capacity.

The dams will be situated at Balleh (1400MW), Pelagus (410MW), both in the upper Rejang River basin in central Sarawak, Baram (1200MW), Limbang (245MW) and Lawas (100MW) all in northern Sarawak. Awang Tengah also said that SEB is looking to boost its hydropower capacity to 6000MW by 2015.

“The Murum dam project (944 MW) is progressing well and it will be completed by 2013,’’ he told reporters after the handing over of the Final report for the feasibility study on the Sarawak-Brunei power interconnection system to the Brunei government in Kuching.

The Bakun dam is timetabled to be fully operational by 2011, has an installed capacity of 2400MW and is expected to start producing 300MW of electricity late this year. Two aluminium producers are expected to be the largest users of power from the dam.

SEB is als0 looking to build a new 300MW coal-fired power plant in Balingian, Mukah division, which once constructed, will boost its coal-using fleet to three power stations with a combined installed capacity of 770MW.
Submarine transmission cables to transmit power to Peninsular Malaysia are on the drawing board, with plans to build the first by 2016 and the second in 2017, according to Zulkfile Osman, the managing director of Sarawak Hidro.

Sarawak is a Malaysian state located in the northwest of the island of Borneo. As of a December 31 census undertaken in 2006, it was reported to have a population of 2.36m (The Star Online).