Focus group to address power woes in Sabah

This is a move that should give you a bit of a reason to cheer up. The government will form a focus group to monitor and advise on the implementation of electricity supply projects in Sabah.

It's essentially a committee that will report to the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister on matters relating to the planning and implementation of electricity supply projects in the state.

Composition of the focus group:

• Dato’ Seri Mahdzir Khalid - Chairman
• Energy Commission representative
• Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) representative 
• Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) representatives
• 7 Barisan Nasional backbenchers from component parties in Sabah.

The terms of reference (TOR) of the focus group:

• to monitor closely the development and implementation of power generation, transmission and distribution projects, particularly those approved under the Tenth Malaysia Plan, 
• to study the electricity tariff,
• to look at SESB’s turnaround.

The other agencies that will be involved include the Economic Planning Unit and Public Private Cooperation Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department, Finance Ministry, Infrastructure Division of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, Sabah State Economic Planning Unit and Sustainable Energy Development Authority.

“The government is committed to addressing the electricity woes in Sabah and the formation of the focus group will step up the efforts.”
- Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili

The minister said various measures would be in place within the next three years, which are expected to ensure sufficient electricity supply for Sabah for the next decade.


Sabah's current electricity supply status

Sabah’s installed electricity capacity is at 1,344MW and available capacity is about 1,100MW while demand is at 870 to 950MW, with a reserve of between 20 MW and 100 MW. The available capacity is lower than the installed capacity due to contingency for planned power outage and forced outage.


TheGreenMechanics' 2 cents:
I agree with the notion that, for us to address Sabah’s electricity woes, every party has to cooperate and be rational. While the rakyat can cooperate by willing to wait and stretching their patience to the limit, those given the power/trust to manage the situation would also need to show urgency.

AND for once, please avoid giving excuses when you cannot fulfill pledges.

More readings here.

10-year plan to address blackouts in Sabah

Frustrated people post in their social network page that every month there are 10 to 20 blackouts in their area of residence and this has been happening for many, many years already.

With several power plants due for operations in a couple of years' time, it should take the Federal Government less than 10 years to fully address this issue, no matter how complicated the situation at SESB is.


10 years is way too long, but 'some plan' is better than nothing! Newspaper clipping - DE, 17-7-2013.


What we hear more often is that IPPs in the West Coast are having hard time maintaining their equipment, and Power Plants in the East Coast are delaying the full commissioning/operations of their long-delayed-temporarily-installed generators.

So, the assurance that "any financial requirement would be approved, if justified" is much welcomed! Come on, you guys!

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Energy Minister says 10 years is needed to tackle perennial power failure issues in Sabah

Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Government has set a goal to address Sabah's infamous blackouts within the next 10 years, said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili.

He said the Prime Minister had directed him to solve the problem in Sabah and that any financial requirement would be approved, if justified.

The tariff collection by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) was only sufficient to cover 80 per cent of its operational cost and the rest was being subsidised by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), he said. "But for how long can this go on?" he said at the breaking of fast with the media and orphans in Promenade Hotel here Tuesday.

Power seepage, according to him was about one per cent in Semenanjung but in Sabah it was about two per cent which translated to about RM50 million being lost.

Dr Ongkili said the Federal Government had been doing its best to reduce the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) in Sabah and had spent about half a billion ringgit in the past three years for the purpose.

In Sabah's case, he said the issue of power generation, transmission and distribution must be addressed in order to reduce Saidi.

For power generation, he said the Federal Government had to re-strategise its planning when the proposed coal-fired power plant project in Lahad Datu was scrapped after seven years of debate.

Among the issues that needed to be addressed to improve distribution of power was the fact that about 80 per cent of Sabah's cables being open cables are not coated, meaning it might take just one curious bird landing on the power cable to cause a major power disruption.

- Source: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=86117