SESB Purchased 14 Mobile Generator Sets for Faster Response Time

In a nutshell this acquisition would mean reduction in power supply interruptions and faster relief to the consumers. This is achieved supposedly with faster response via deployment of smaller gensets but larger in numbers, to cover more strategic and critical areas.

Reading today's local dailies, you read and get what's necessary for general information. But from technical standpoint, I was a bit frustrated that none of the three papers (NST, Borneo Post & Daily Express) give sufficient information about the mobile gensets technical information apart from stating the obvious -- generator capacity and number of sets. Then again, that is all that matters to the general public, I suppose.

Too bad. Had I known of the event earlier I would not have hesitated to walk in as spectator.

WZS PowerGen handing over the trucks to SESB. Photo: NST Online

Anyway, digesting what the reporters reported in their respective dailies, here's a hint of the mobile power unit:

Generator set capacity	:	500kW each
Engine manufacturer	:	na
Alternator manufacturer	:	na
Designed & integrated by	:	WZS PowerGen Sdn Bhd
Generator engine emission standard	:	Euro 3
Gross mobile unit weight	:	16 tonnes
Fuel tank size	:	2,000 litres
Up time (with continuous use)	:	10 hours
Number of sets	:	14
Total cost	:	RM12 mil ($3 mil)
Received now	:	7 trucks
To receive in Oct 2016	:	7 trucks (expected)
Each generator set will power up	:	200 to 300 homes

Having 14 trucks with capacity of 500kW each, SESB will now have 'additional' generating capacity of 7MW at its disposal to attend to power interrupted areas. So, when there are scheduled power outages which normally last for 8 hours in most cases, this new truck loaded with power generator will be able to last that long.

In my own experience in Kota Kinabalu and Penampang areas, when requested, SESB would send their "Tenaga segera" mobile genset to cater for our industrial power need.

“Before this, we would have to call our contractors and settle payments before we are able to respond to power supply interruption reports but with these 14 new mobile units, we can go together which would cut down response time by half.”- Muhamad Nazri Pazil, Senior General Manager (Asset management), SESB

TheGreenMechanics: Fair enough.

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Here's excerpt of the report by The Borneo Post:

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) now has 14 brand new mobile generator sets to provide faster response to consumers during power supply interruptions.

Its senior general manager (asset management), Muhamad Nazri Pazil, said SESB had spent close to RM12 million to acquire the new generator sets from WZS PowerGen Sdn Bhd, the company appointed to design and assemble the mobile power provider.

“We have seven units with us now which will be assigned to be on standby here in Kota Kinabalu, while the other seven will arrive in October and will be sent to assist the remaining focus areas in the East Coast,” said Nazri, during the handing over ceremony at the SESB compound here yesterday.

The 500Kw mobile generator sets, with a capacity to cater to about 200 to 300 houses at once, will be located in focus areas statewide, namely, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau and Labuan.

The 14 new units, he said, adds on to SESB existing assets of nine mobile generator sets of bigger capacity in Malawa, which are being used to cater to commercial business districts (CBD), as well as its contractors’ assets, namely, MNI and LLP, which each owning 11 and two units respectively.

Previously, SESB had traded in 25 units of used canopy (ground) generator sets, which Nazri said had been in use for about 15 years. The supply of the 14 units of 500Kw generator sets will enable SESB to provide faster response during power supply interruptions and improve the company’s quality of service.

“Before this, we would have to call our contractors and settle payments before we are able to respond to power supply interruption reports but with these 14 new mobile units, we can go together which would cut down response time by half,” he said.

Also present at the handing over ceremony yesterday were SESB general manager Abdul Razak Salleh, deputy general manager (distribution) Ridwan Saham, and WZS PowerGen chief operating officer Dominic How.

Sources: The Borneo Post

Kimanis Power Plant begins full operations

KPP is located south of Papar township. Image credit: www.etawau.com

This should be good news for all stakeholders and especially to the consumers, as this would mean lesser power interruptions.

Kimanis Power Plant (KPP), managed by Kimanis Power Sdn Bhd, became fully operational with the commencement of its third generating block on November 7, 2014.

The third generating block will add an additional 95MW of electricity to the Sabah grid, in addition to the 190MW already generated by the first and second blocks, which started operating in May and July of 2014, respectively. The third block is also the final block to be commissioned in KPP.


Long overdue project

The power plant project is scheduled for full completion in 32 months' time, from Apr 1, 2011 and the first commercial operation date for the first generating block is December 1, 2013.

With the many challenges faced during T&C and load rejection test, the first 100MW block began commercial operations on 16 May 2014, way off initial target.

The Kimanis Power Plant will be the biggest IPP plant Sabah (until such time that a bigger one comes in) and it will take great responsibility in supplying reliable and clean electricity to Malaysians in Sabah.


Power plant summary

Petronas, through Petronas Gas Berhad, owns 60% of KPSB, while Yayasan Sabah through its subsidiary, NRG Consortium (Sabah) Sdn Bhd, owns the remaining 40%.




Power supply requirement now fulfilled?

The short term energy demand should be taken care of for now but more such facilities must be constructed to meet the fast increasing peak demand. According to SESB, electricity demand in Sabah is expected to reach 1,500 MW by the year 2020.

The completion of this project will deliver the additional electricity supply that is crucial in propelling Sabah's future growth. We've lost ground with other states in terms of foreign direct investment due to our inability to meet energy requirement by the investors.

Preferably, there should also be some investment in renewable energy such as hydroelectric, biomass/biogas and solar photovoltaic.


Source: Bernama - 9 Nov 2014, Daily Express - 10 Nov 2014

SESB unaware of 1MDB's plan to be major player in Sabah power sector?

Really? Maybe, but for a big news such as this, it is unlikely that the power utility has no knowledge of.

                               Daily Express, Sunday, 2 November 2014

It was earlier reported that Sabah was looking at 3 new power plants with 1MDB expected to secure two:

• A 400MW gas-fired plant to be located either in Lahad Datu or Sandakan, and
• A hydro plant in Ulu Padas which is expected to generate 180MW of power

If 1MDB is to be in any way involved with the implementation of these projects, or any power projects in the state, we'd better make sure that it is done in an open bidding process, in line with the government's transparency policy. We do not want to see another lop-sided power purchase agreement with an IPP.


On whether we will have sufficient power in the near future, this is what the power utility has to say:

"Currently, with 2new Independent Power Producers (IPPs) operating in Kimanis - Kimanis Power Sdn Bhd (KPSB) operating 190MW and SPR Energy (100MW) - there is still a comfortable reserve margin of more than 25%. Another 95MW is due to come on stream at KPSB by early next month, which would be sufficient to meet the power requirement for the next one to two years." - Bernama, 1 November 2014

That's good to know. But with many ageing equipment in its keeping, it looks like we are more of doing 'fire fighting' than building reserve margin.

Speaking of transparency, 1MDB had an attempt at bulldozing a big solar farm in Kedah back in April this year. This was supposed to be the largest solar farm in the country with generating capacity of 50MW.

We have no update yet if this has gone into implementation but if it has, then this is robbery. Or in a more polite term, the least fair play in the so called 'electronic bidding' mechanism for solar quota.

                                                The Star, 23 April 2014

The Green Mechanics:

We have nothing against 1MDB making a mark here. In fact this would benefit the people in term of direct investment into the state, and eventually better power for the consumers. But it must be transparent and fair to the other players.


Reference: Bernama

SESB not to blame for soaring house price?

SESB believes it is not to blame for the soaring house price in the state.

I tend to agree. Between 2011 and now the utility company has reduced the Capital Contribution (a sum contributed by the developer when applying for power supply for an intended project), twice - once in 2011 another one early this year.

From mathematical point of view you would expect the the price to have been reduced, if Capital Contribution is even a factor. But the cost of properties doesn't follow mathematical logic, you say.  Perhaps. But the cost should follow logical thinking.

If it is a factor in determining the cost of a house, for instance, then there should be price reduction in those years when the capital contribution was revised. Or, at least distribute the benefit to the buyers in a tangible form; by withholding the fast soaring house price. Fair enough?


Clipping from local daily, the Daily Express on 4 October 2014.

Point aside, Daily Express never fail to amaze me with so many oversights. The person in the above picture (inset) is not Abd Razak. He's the former Managing Director of SESB, Ir. Baharin Din. Come on! Give Ir. Abd Razak Sallim some face. You are not doing your homework as reporter. I've seen more than once in your paper that Abd Razak was given a 'new face'.

------------------------------------

Back to business. Really, soaring house price should not be blamed on SESB. It's a lame excuse on the part of the developers. But ideally, SESB should bear the cost of supplying power to the consumer; if not now maybe in the near future when is has factored in this cost into its power tariff.

I had a recent experience of upgrading the power supply to one of our facilities - a 1500KVA substation. Apart from the capital contribution of over RM200k, we were also asked to bear the cost of installing additional switchgear for a 2-in-1-out 11kV supply system. This, according to SESB, is in the name of 'supply security' because if supply from Source A failed, Source B would automatically kick in and supply to our facility would not be disrupted. Now, in the name of 'supply security' the utility company should be the one to pay for it rather than the end user.

The onus is on them to ensure better power supply. Not me, not you the consumers.


The Green Mechanics' two cents:
To property developers, especially housing development, please find better explanation to your soaring house price.

Kimanis Power Plant (KPP) starts commercial operations

After a failed Load Rejection Test last month, Kimanis Power Plant finally kicked start commercial operation of of its power plant, which I 'suppose' is good news.

When I posted about the LRT (with high hope) last month, Mr Turbineman (Thomas Lee) commented it normally points to not-so-good news and true enough this KPP had issues with gas supply from SOGT, which was not even the test itself, and that lead to postponement of the LRT. Subsequent test was carried out later and an engineer friend who works there said KPP was ready to go supply power. Soon afterward the power plant came online on 16 May 2014.

First 100 MW block starts operation

The Petronas Group achieved another milestone for its business in Sabah when Petronas Gas Berhad's subsidiary, Kimanis Power Sdn Bhd (KPSB), started the commercial operations of the first 100 MW block of its Kimanis Power Plant (KPP) in Kimanis on May 16.

The KPP, one of several petroleum and energy related projects developed by the Petronas Group in Sabah, is expected to contribute significantly to the reliability and security of power supply in the State, once fully operational.

The three-blocks, 300 MW gas-fired power plant is a key project in the "Power Up Sabah" initiative, established under the Malaysian Economic Transformation Plan (ETP).

The plant utilises natural gas from offshore Sabah.

Besides strengthening the Sabah electricity grid, the successful start of the commercial operations is a significant milestone in providing a reliable source of energy towards supporting the State's economic growth.

A joint venture between Petronas PGB and Yayasan Sabah's subsidiary NRG Consortium (Sabah) Sdn Bhd, the plant's first block's commercial operations date (COD) of May 16 2014 was within the targeted schedule announced in February this year.

Chairman of KPSB, Yusa' Hassan, said this achievement was a significant milestone for the company after many months of meticulous planning and hard work. The COD for the plant's second and third 100 MW blocks is scheduled in the third quarter of 2014.

PGB owns 60% of KPSB while NRG Consortium owns the remaining 40%.


TheGreenMechanics: Hope there'll finally be light at the end of the never ending 'blackout' tunnel!

SESB to conduct load rejection test on Kimanis IPP today

The independent power producer (IPP) in Kimanis, Papar will be conducting a load rejection test today. Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) said the test would be conducted for 30 minutes from 5pm and involve an energy load of 72 MW.





Load Rejection Test (LRT)

To understand what is LRT, I've quoted Hurricane193 here: "Load rejection test means to test the engine performance with no load condition after running with full load. Simply, the test done to check the engine and generator performance in case generator circuit breaker suddenly trip due to fault in upper network."

You can see the typical procedure explained by Hurricane193 at: Load Rejection Test

"The test process is very important to the IPP station to begin channeiling the Sabah Interconnection Grid System. It involves load rejection by the IPP and sudden reduction of the grid system frequency to a controlled level." - Muhamad Nazri Pazil, Senior General Manager (Asset management) SESB.

SESB would take early initiatives, including making a computer simulation of the MW loss to the grid system to ensure there was no impact on the consumers when the test was being conducted.

Consumers were encouraged to contact the SESB at 15454 or 088-515000 if their area experienced a power failure. SESB assured that immediate action would be taken on all complaints sent through the official channels.


TheGreenMechanics: This should be good news as we've been waiting for the excess capacity to cater for the increasing energy need in Sabah. Finger crossed, this will be successful.

On the issue of power failure, there is also an emergency line you can contact SESB during 'emergency' cases.

But from personal experience, the staff maning the call centre (emergence number) would insist that you call 15454 or 515000 instead before they can mobilise the stand-by team. I strongly believe SESB should give exception when it involve facilities that concern the public such water works, hospitals, etc.

Load shedding due to Pangi Hydropower plant under capacity

If you've been experiencing power supply disruption the last couple of days, you probably were located within the area where load shedding was being carried out.


The current 22MW turbines at Pangi hydropower plant. Pictures taken by The Borneo Post during working visit at the plant November last year.


SESB said that load shedding had to be carried out on Tuesday due to Pangi Hydropower plant in Tenom unable to generate optimal power. Dry weather during Tuesday's peak hour had resulted in slow water flow at Sungai Padas, hence affecting Pangi's power generation capability.

Power generation went down to only 35MW, whereas the full capacity of the power plant is 66MW.

Apart from that, several other independent power producers also faced outage such as in Libaran, ARLT and SBPC. Load shedding began at the peak hour of 12.50pm while power supply was restored in stages beginning 2.50pm on the same day.


Two days in a row now, and counting

Already on Monday, SESB had to resort to load shedding as it observed high demand for power by consumers. If it was not due to failure of its generators then you can only deduce that we are now in the critical stage of power deficiency.

The commissioning of the 100MW IPP by SPR Energy Sdn Bhd in May this year and the first block of Kimanis Power Sdn Bhd generating 95MW in June, may not be sufficient in the medium term! SESB gave assurance this will help solve the problem, but it wont be for long.


The Green Mechanics' two cents:

We've read that Pangi hydropower plant is currently undergoing sprucing up project and a bit of upgrading which would increase the generating capacity from 66MW to 75MW. That's good, but that may be only good enough for the surrounding area.

The utility company is also looking at building a non-destructive 180 MW hydropower plant at Ulu Padas, Kuala Tomani and this, I think would be a better bet at solving the acute power shortage, compared to the small, ageing Pangi hydropower plant. This should (at the least) put Tenom area in a 'safe island' during islanding mode of operation due to major power disruptions.

On IPPs with fault-prone generators, someone should really look at the procedures on how IPP monitoring by SESB is being carried out, if there was one. Well, it's crazy to assume there's none, but can you help but think something is not right with the preventive maintenance after several major blackouts in a span of just a couple of years?

Look at some of my articles pertaining to blackouts and power supply issues in Sabah:

• SESB offers explaination on the 30 April 2012 total blackout - Link
• Sabah power blackout due to Shutdown of 4 turbines by IPP - Link
• IPP Shutdown: SESB load shedding on the card - Link
• Power outage: SESB vs SEB - Link
• Fancy a long Earth Hour this weekend? - Link
• Privatisation of SESB a failure? - Link

On a positive note, one must appreciate the efforts put in place by SESB to address the power supply issues in the state. Several bigger power plants are currently on the pipeline and some of them are nearing completion (in stages), plus, the utility company is also looking at getting better control over the IPPs, especially the upcoming ones once the terms of the existing ones expire.

Also, don't forget; SESB is also spending a lot on upgrading its transmission grids.

Sabah power blackout due to Shutdown of 4 turbines by IPP

It's good that Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) has finally came out with a media briefing regarding the state-wide blackout on January 17, 2014. People have been speculating about why and what caused the second massive blackout in 2 years. The previous one was on April 30, 2012.

The slight delay did not help the utility in putting a stop to allegations after allegations from many quarters, some to the point of slandering. Just navigate to the 'News' dropdown menu in the SESB website and you will see I meant. For me, I prefer to wait and get the full pictures from SESB's own press release like the one in 2012.

One of the power plants belonging to Ranhill, located in Teluk Salut. Source: RPSB pdf

IPP to blame for the blackout?

From what was reported today by the local dailies, it seem the blame is on the Independent Power Producer's (IPP). Well it depends on how you look at it.

If one day you find your tap went dry, who will you blame? The Water Department? The water concessionaires who manage the water supply for the department? The Operators who operate the treatment plant? The broken-down pumps? Where does the blame-game stop? Someone has to take the responsibility, or, the blame if you like.

SESB was quoted by Daily Express as saying that the IPP's decision to shut down its gas turbines for safety reasons caused the massive power failure in Sabah and Labuan on that fateful day.


Why and how it happened

Preliminary findings revealed by SESB on Wednesday were that Ranhill's power plant decided to shut down the gas turbines after encountering a technical problem, causing power to fluctuate and trip.

IPP informed SESB that its "diverter damper", the door which covers the gas connection from the turbines to power up a steam turbine at the plant, could not be shut. Out of fear as smoke was continuously coming out from the plant, they decided to shut down the two gas turbines.

In the report, Managing Director Abdul Razak Sallim said the blackout episode could be divided into two events, (1) being a residual overcurrent protection at 10.30am where power was stabilised and (2) a sharp drop in power transmission at 11.11am.

He said in the first event, power generation had stabilised to 633MW, while demand stood at 585.1MW with an excess margin of 48.5MW.

But in the second event which caused the total blackout, power generation stood only at 525MW, while demand remained at 585MW, causing a margin deficiency of (-) 60MW, the problem of which was traced to the Ranhill Power Plant.


SESB not in a position to compensate consumers

The blackout is reported to have left the utility firm with about RM2 million in losses. While it affected more than 500,000 consumers statewide, SESB said it is also a victim of circumstances, and still operating in the red.

So, SESB cannot offer a discount nor reduce the newly-revised tariff as demanded by an opposition Assemblywoman, Christina Liew who earlier said SESB should give a 30 per cent discount.


What's next

A task force committee will, among others, determine whether the issue had been caused by technical or human error. The detailed report would be forwarded to the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry to decide whether to launch an elaborate investigation.

Will Ranhill Power Plant risk a revocation of its licence by the Energy Commission?

"Under the Electric Supply Act 1994 all licenses to IPPs are issued by the Commission, if there are situations where the IPPs can assist supply in times of crisis and had received instructions to do so, but did not do it, their licences can be revoked." - Energy Commission West Coast Areas Director Nazlin Ab Alim Sidiri


The way forward for SESB as to what I understand from my readings:

• For SESB, TNB and Energy Commission to work together to strengthen its 21 fail-safe system and other efforts to ensure there will be no repeat of a total blackout.

• For the government to continuously provide allocations (and perhaps allocate more now) to set up a redundancy system or a back-up power line that can serve as a back-up when the main cables are down to improve the State's System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI).

TheGreenMechanics: Two state-wide blackouts in a span of less than 2 years is not good a statistics at all. Not good at all! But in this particular case, SESB can't be totally blamed; to certain extent their hands are also tied with regards to control over the many IPPs in the state.

That said, for the sake of making good what has been pledged to the people, the government, especially the federal government, which has more grip on the parent company, TNB, must take some drastic and bold decisions. If it is just fund you are talking about, then reprioritise!

We cannot just continue to say "This is Sabah, we have to live with it" and accept our fate as so!


Source:
Daily Express - read here
Bernama - read here
Free Malaysia Today - read here

SESB launches operations room to explain subsidy gradualisation on electricity tariff

With the recent announcement of electricity tariff revision, consumers are expected to have questions and complaints pertaining to how they would be affected by the new energy rates.

Some will be directly affected while some (who use 300kWh or less energy) will be indirectly impacted by the expected increase in goods and services costs. Simply put, every consumers will be affected in one way or another.

The question is, how bad could it gets.


One of the critical areas the utility company needs to improve is supply security - how reliable the supply is. Photo: Kayu Madang PMU, by de engineur.


Operations Room for Tariff

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) has launched an operations room (BGT) to enable the public to get information on the subsidy gradualisation on electricity tariff announced Monday (Dec. 2, 2013).

"The operations room was activated on Dec 2 and is handled by three personnel. It is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and on Saturday from 8am to 12.30pm. It is closed on Sunday," SESB general manager (distribution) Ahmad Sazree Abd Aziz told reporters in Kota Kinabalu recently.

The public could submit queries and complaints by coming to the operations room on the ground floor of Wisma SESB in Karamunsing or dial toll-free line 1-800-88-4500 or via e-mail tariff@sesb.com.my.

According to Ahmad Sazree, consumers could also surf SESB's website at www.sesb.com.my which has the current electricity bill calculation facility to help consumers plan their power usage.

In short, these are the means of communication on tariff queries:

Call      : 1-800-88-4500 (Tariff Helpdesk)
Fax      : 088-282451
E-Mail  : tariff@sesb.com.my


TheGreenMechanics: I have sent query to the above given e-mail address (tariff@sesb.com.my) and am currently waiting for SESB's reply. Let's see.


Source: Bernama

Malaysia to raise Electricity Tariff by 10% - 20% in 2014

This is what was announced in a very general manner by the Minister, to which it would normally be construed as tariff hike by TNB alone. But I have reason to believe that Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) will also be affected the same way.

Don't ask me why and how I came to such conjecture, but let's just speculate that if it happen, it will most likely be by similar quantum to the one in July 2011, which is 15%. Do you feel your business is hurt already?

But...if you think about the bigger picture, electricity tariff revision is actually inevitable as we move forward towards industry competitiveness, and that can be achieved by reducing subsidies, but let's do it in gradual manner and not making this a yearly affair.


"Anything below 20% is reasonable." - Datuk Dr. Maximus Ongkili


Electricity tariffs to go up next year
(The Star, November 28, 2013)

Consumers should brace themselves for a 10%-20% hike in electricity tariffs next year.

“The quantum (of increase) is not finalised … but anything below 20% is reasonable,” said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.

The final decision on the increase has yet to be made by the Cabinet, but the hike could happen anytime in 2014, he told reporters on the sidelines of a Parliament session yesterday.

The move, he said, would be in line with the Government’s plan to gradually cut subsidies.

It would also be in line with its efforts to boost efficiency and competitiveness in the Malaysian power industry, as well as to ensure sufficient returns to capital for utility company Tenaga Nasional Bhd to cover its costs.

A tariff hike will see rates for both industrial and households increase, but any hike for businesses will be mitigated against the need for them to remain competitive. A home appliance that is rated at 1,000 watts, if left switched on for one hour, would use 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity.

A 10%-20% hike would translate into an increase of 3.35 sen/6.7 sen per kWh to 36.85 sen/40.2 sen per kWh. This is based on the prevailing tariff rate of 33.5 sen per kWh, which is about 8.5 sen below the “true cost” of power at 42 sen per kWh.

In comparison, electricity tariffs in the Philippines and Thailand are 58 sen per kWh and 48 sen per kWh respectively.

Ongkili said the Government would implement a “stabilisation” programme to protect consumers, especially the low-income group, when the tariff hike takes effect. Details of the programme have yet to be finalised.

The electricity tariff was last revised in June 2011 after the Government raised the subsidised gas price for the power sector to RM13.70 per million metric British thermal unit (mmbtu) from RM10.70 per mmbtu.

Gas accounts for about 50% of electricity generation in peninsular Malaysia. Coal accounts for 40%, hydropower about 8% and renewable sources around 2%.

Subsidies for the power sector are RM8bil to RM12bil per year, depending on the prevailing price of gas. The Government’s share is RM150mil and the rest is borne by Malaysian oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd.


TheGreenMechanics: They say it's done in the name of efficiency & competitiveness. Let's see if we can achieve this.

Hydro power station in Tenom to be upgraded from 66 MW to 75 MW

The Borneo Post reported Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) managing director Ir Haji Abdul Razak Sallim as saying that the Pangi hydropower plant in Tenom is currently undergoing upgrading works to boost the existing power generation capacity of 66 MW to 75 MW.

For a total amount of RM57million for the upgrading project, an additional 9 MW is not that much but should be good for the foreseeable future.


Ir. Hj Abdul Razak (third left) in the control room.



The 3 turbines that will be upgraded from 22MW to 25MW each.


Upgrading works which would take longer time as temporary closure of turbine engine needs to be done on a rotational basis, is as follows:

Commenced        : February 28, 2011
Completion          : December 2015
Status                  : 47% (as at Nov 2013)
Current capacity  : 22 MW x 3 (Total 66MW)
After upgrade      : 25 MW x 3 (Total 75 MW)
Cost                     : RM57 million ($17.74 million)

The upgrading works includes three components, namely:

• Increase generation capacity to 25MW each
• Replacement of the control system to a better technology for faster operational response
• Upgrading of the cooling system

The upgrading project is among those announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak when tabling the Budget 2014.

The Pangi power station is being upgraded because it is the only hyrdo power station in Sabah which is still in operation since 30 years ago and it is time that the station system is upgraded to support the generation of electricity to consumers in the state.


Source: The Borneo Post, Friday, Nov. 22, 2013
Photos are property of The Borneo Post.

Explore new energy sources said CM

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) has been urged  to explore new energy sources and applications to strengthen its electricity generating capacity.

Chief Minister Musa said this in reference to renewables during the recent Sustainable Energy Convention 2013 held at 1Borneo Hypermall last week.

Government commitment on CO2 emission reduction and Renewable Energy

It was vital for the State’s sole electricity provider to find a cheaper and more sustainable approach in keeping up with the growing power demand, given the increasingly high cost of operating using conventional fossil fuel.

At present, the electricity generating capacity for Sabah and Labuan stands at 1,000 MW, compared to peak demand of up to 874 MW. Out of this, 111 MW was from renewable sources, such as mini hydro and biomass.


Government's commitment to assist

Ideas, planning and suggestions are to be discussed by the power company, related government-linked agencies and the State Government to ensure smooth and speedy implementation.

The governments, both at the state and federal level, would be committed in supporting the power company in their effort to improve their services and ensure power security for the State.

“The State Government realises that the operation cost for providing electricity is huge. Apart from expensive equipment and maintenance, SESB and independent power plants have to deal with high and unstable prices of fuel. We are prepared to give cooperation and support to ensure  improvements could be implemented successfully."
- Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman, Sabah Chief Minister.

TheGreenMechanics: Quality of services provided had seen improvement with a notable reduction in power disruption in recent years, but it had yet to meet the expectation of consumers in Sabah.

I have personally encountered difficulties in applying for shutdowns to facilitate connection works to the utility's grid, most probably due to their attempt to reduce SAIDI. At the least, I can say this is unfair.

On the sort of support the state government is giving to the Renewable Energy initiative here, it is understood that it is looking at ways to contribute to SEDA fund in lieu of the consumers.

Compensation to consumer due to power utility company's fault

I was combing for information in the Electricity Supply Act 1990 to see if there is a clause to give consumers the rights to claim from the utility companies - TNB, SESB, SEB - for electrical appliances and equipment damages due to voltage surges and dips in the power supply system.

I am currently working on a claim against SESB for faulty equipment due to over voltage at their 415V LV supply system with no favourable result so far. I could not find the pertinent clause, but would appreciate it very much if anyone can point me to it.


Go ahead, make the claim

Can you actually claim for damaged equipment, and in what circumstances can you possibly win a case against these power utilities? Well, based on the following cases, you may have a chance:


Case #1: In 2011, Sarawak Energy Berhad paid RM1,695.40 in compensation to two consumers




Case #2: In 2012, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd promised to investigate and consider compensation


The best option, as it seem, is to go to the Consumer Claims Tribunal and provide to them as much details as possible, but most importantly the followings:

• Claimant's detailed information,
• Police Report,
• List of damaged equipment,
• Original receipt of equipment repair, etc

In the SEB case, the consumers have written earlier to the power utility company but their complaints went unanswered and that was when they decided to approach Consumer Claims Tribunal Malaysia.

So there. Know your rights and play your role, and plug some holes in your pocket.

TheGreenMechanics: The Acts pertaining to electricity supply seem to be not so friendly when it come helping the consumers. Aren't consumers the backbone for the existence of the power utility companies?

Someone can point me to a clause in the act that can save my day, please?

First 100MW from Kimanis Power Plant to come on stream in March 2014

Last year I wrote about Kimanis RM1.5billion gas-fired power plant in the district of Papar.

On his busy schedule to get himself up-to-speed with the goings-on in the power supply issues in Sabah, Minister Dr Maximus Ongkili gave us a hint of when we will have better and more stable power supply in this part of the country.

Dr. Maximus (wearing hat) says that will happen in March next year.


Sabah can expect more stable power supply in March 2014

The power generation capacity in Sabah's grid is expected to be more stable when the Kimanis Power Plant (KPP) project comes on stream next year. 300MW of electricity is expected to be generated in stages beginning the first quarter of 2014.

The power plant consists of 3 generating blocks and each block generates 100MW of power. So far the completion of works has reach about 96%.

"Completion of delivery on the Kimanis Power Plant is by end of this year but the first 100MW will be channeled in March next year and the other two blocks with about 200MW will be generated in July as the deadline."
- Datuk Seri Dr. Maximus Ongkili, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water.

I suppose the reporter is trying to say that the installation works at KPP is scheduled for completion at year-end but due to some technical issues that need to be addressed, the first 100MW will only be channeled in March next year.


Effect on SAIDI (System Avegare Interruption Duration Index)

Last year, SAIDI target for Sabah was 490 minutes per consumer for which SESB said was achieved. This year SESB targetted 450 minutes of downtime per consumer, and I feel that a modest 40-minute improvement is very marginal.

But with the completion and operation of the Kimanis Power Pant next year, the utility company is expecting to achieve  SAIDI of below 300 minutes per customer.

If you take Penang or Johor as benchmarks, you will find that the SESB's SAIDI figures above are not impressive at all. Look at the following achievements by some of the states in Peninsula Malaysia (2011):

State	Target ( 2011 )	Achievement  (minutes per customer per year)
Sabah	700	494
Penang	99	76
Kelantan	75	72
Selangor	74	61
Johor	99	78

Lower SAIDI is better. Source

Privatisation of SESB a failure?

You have to read this and take it with a pinch of salt.

At face value, it is a serious allegation but if you read the whole article, you will begin to understand why he/she said what he/she wrote. I reproduced it from Daily Express weekend readers' submission. What do I think about it? I think we still have the most blackouts in the whole country!

Almost blackout? Full moon shot at | 200mm | f/8 | 1/25s | ISO 200 |

: :       : :       : :       : :       : :       : :       : :       : :

Here is a reproduce of the DE reader's letter:

Privatisation of SESB a failure

I refer to the strong criticism by new Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan on SESB staff regarding the numerous blackouts.

I was witness when he was invited to launch the new SESB red uniform introduced by Datuk Baharin of TNB. Raymond was then full of praise for the SESB management for reporting to him that the SAIDI (big word for blackout data) was greatly reduced.

So, why only berate the low level staff for so-called blackouts and not reporting the real reasons for the return of more blackouts?

Why not refer to Dr. Maximus Ongkili, the Minister of Energy who made lots of promises recently.

He can also refer to the Chairman for both SESB and TNB, namely Datuk Leo Moggie or call the CEO of TNB or MD of SESB, En. Razak Salim to ask about the blackouts.

While he is talking to these top guys, he should also ask why after all the glamorous efforts in filling the walls of TNB and SESB with certificates in ISO9001, SEMS, 5S, EWRMS and hundreds of other certificates, Sabah blackouts have not changed since SESB was called SEB under the State Government?

Achieving the ISO9001 certification means that the company had standardised their processes and procedures and have achieved high qualities in products and services.

That means SESB must have the highest quality of blackouts in this country. Hence, Raymond must either choose to congratulate them on their ISO9001 success or tell them to stop wasting their time, energy and resource on this rubbish ISO in order to get rid of the blackouts.

EWRMS means a system of managing risk and if they have been certified, then they would have minimised all the risk of getting blackouts. If the blackouts have returned, then someone in TNB must be lying about their EWRMS and it is better to stop this nonsense.

The results may be only for glamour of TNB top officials to justify their datukship prospects.

The public deserve to know that before privatisation of SESB, it used to be known as Lembaga Letrik Sabah (LLS) and there was none of all the glamour activities except for SEMS which was an important safety management system. In those days, the blackouts were there but not as bad.

Hence the privatisation of LLS after more than 15 years has proven to be a total failure if everyone including BN Ministers are still condemning SESB on the blackouts.

However, BN Ministers should stop condemning the poor SESB ordinary staff and blame themselves because SESB is fully under the control of the Federal Government.

SabahLeak, ex-staff of LLS 
Daily Express, June 16, 2013, pp20.

SESB's advice to complainants

In a bid to reach out to its more than 488,000 customers, SESB has launched its Official Facebook page and Twitter. With this, it is hoped that the general public would not be misled anymore by other facebook pages found on the net.


You can "Talk To Us" anytime but provide full information!

I like the idea of being able to contact the utility company  anytime, anywhere, in whatever way. It's fast and hassle-free.

The following newspaper cutting (Daily Express - Mar 25, 2013), says "they can also channel their complaints through toll-free line or through Talk To Us in SESB's website". I was looking for that particular section in their website and actually found none. But "Contact Us" menu would do the job just fine.

Information is powerful, so they say.

So, for best result, provide as much information as possible when making inquiries through the available channels, with at least the followings:-

• complainant's name
• location
• nature of complaint
• contact number
• full description (if space is not an issue)

I don't know about you, but for me, I've tested this out and am now waiting eagerly for some response.


"We want to give our customer the best services. We aim to give the right information, to the right people, at the right time and through the right channels."
- SESB Managing Director, Ir. Abdul Razak Sallim, during the launching of the Official SESB Facebook page.


Read more.

LED lighting for SK Randagong, Ranau

Being far away from the development of the urban area should not stop you from being efficient in your energy usage. Especially so if you happen to have been adopted by big corporation such as SESB (Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd).

Energy efficiency is what we want to drive home to the younger generation and SESB did just that to the school children at SK Randagong in Ranau.

SK Randagong - children will learn about energy efficiency early. InsightSabah photo.


Called Energy Efficient (EE) Light programme, SESB started the initiative off in the rural area by 'acting' rather than 'preaching'. SESB came to the school and changed all its conventional light bulbs with energy saving LEDs in September last year, and helped reduce the school’s electricity bill by about 30% the next month. The less-than-expected saving is probably due to power consumption by other appliances that are not energy efficient.


How much?

The  total cost of changing all 35 lights at the school is RM5,350 which works out to be about RM135 per unit. A check with online retailers shows that LED tubes will set you back at RM130 to RM190 per set. Comparing this to the conventional fluorescent tube which is retailed at about RM14 (36 W), it is still a very expensive affair at the current market price.

But life span of LED lights are also about 10 times longer and are brighter,  plus there is virtually no heat generated compared to incandescent/filament and conventional tubes.

Coverage by local dailies, DE, NST and BP was not conclusive as to whether SESB replaced all lights with LED tubes, compact fluorescent tubes or combination of both but looking at the cost involved, I'm convinced they are LEDs.


Why LED? (The LED Revolution)

LEDs are evolving much faster than any other lighting technology. They offer advances in:-

• Efficiency. Energy savings from 50% to 70% compared with conventional technologies result in similar cuts to carbon emissions.

• Controllability. Better control over light colour,  intensity and direction allows lighting system designs that can deliver a wide range of social co-benefits. 

     Examples:

1. Outdoor LEDs offer improved visibility for pedestrians and traffic, as well as reduced light pollution.
2. Indoor LED smart control systems have been shown to improve student behavior and study performance.

• Lifespan. Well-designed LEDs are expected to last for 50,000 to 100,000 hours or more. Lifespans can be extended even further by coupling LEDs with smart controls.

According to LED 2012 Report by The Climate Group (Supported and sponsored by HSBC & Philips), when smart controls allow LEDs to dynamically change lighting levels in response to conditions, total system energy savings can reach up to 80%.*

While fluorescent tubes have doubled in efficiency since 1950, white LED efficiency has increased by a factor of ten since 2000. Today LEDs are among the most efficient lighting sources available, but in the near future they will reach far beyond any competing technology and become the technology of choice for most applications – with energy savings reaching up to 90% compared to today’s conventional technologies. [The Climate Group]


TheGreenMechanics:

SESB should not stop there. Move on to other schools, higher learning institutions, and collaborate with other GLCs or even local authorities. Get the involvement of the people. Involvement would instill the sense of belonging.

Thumbs up and many thanks, SESB!


* LED June 2012 Report by The ^oClimate Group.

Kubota power plant to be fully operational on Feb 8, 2013

The title looks very much like a headline for a regional news. But as far as our situation here is concerned, it's more 'prediction' than 'news', simply because things doesn't materialise as promised anymore nowdays.

As you can see in the following newspaper cutting, this was stated 3 days ago by the Deputy Chief Minister himself. Let's see about it.

Feb 8, 2013: Is this for real this time?

Today is 7th of February and I would like (and who wouldn't) to see that the front page of many tabloids tomorrow say something like "Kubota Power Plant is Now Fully Operational".

I can't blame myself for being a little bit skeptical after series of deferments previously:

1. The 64 MW Kubota station to start operation in June 2012. Back then I thought I would give it a 6-month margin before the plant start operating. That would mean December 2012 rather than June. The delay was understandable as the vessel ferrying the equipment was hijacked by pirate.


2. On Dec 7, 2012 Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui stated that the power station will begin producing electricity starting January 7, 2013. As you can see,   never did it materialised.


3. Latest is what you see in the above Daily Express cutting. That's tomorrow and I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will really happen this time.

Power supply is very close to heart, at least for me, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the place I hailed from is still without electricity despite efforts to get connected for more than 20 years. The 3 neighbouring villages are all enjoying 24 hours power supply already.

Secondly, in the the industry I'm involved in, energy is one of the biggest contributors to the expenses pie. We are one of the biggest energy (electricity) users in Kota Kinabalu, and in the West Coast of Sabah. Stability of power supply is of paramount importance to us.

When the power supply in the East Coast is sufficient, the situation in West Coast will be more stable, and  simply put, more people will get to enjoy 24-hour electricity.

So, come on guys! Don't play games with us and the rakyat. Mean it when you say it, will you!

The GreenMechanics:

EAGERLY WAITING FOR MORE LIGHTS TOMORROW.

Kubota Power Station starts operations in Jan 2013

Really?

Exactly 1 month ago SESB said in a statement that the 64MW power plant in Kubota, Tawau will start operations.

A gentle reminder, if you care. (DE, 7-12-12)

If you recall, this plant was supposed to have started operations in June 2012. But due to the  hijacking of the vessel ferrying the plant equipment intended for this power station, it is understandable. Hopefully they are true to their words this time and starts operating it this month.The hijacking incident is not totally beyond control as TNB has the technology and money to ensure safety of its vessel.

We are currently facing the possibility of load shedding and power rationing due to the failure of one of IPP's generators in Sepanggar causing capacity shortage of 95MW.

We can't afford further delay. BTW, the turbines are understood to be 16 years old, so, I believe this is only for temporary measure by SESB/TNB.

__________________________________________________________________________

Kubota station starts ops Jan
DE - Dec 7, 2012

Tawau: The Kubota power station will start producing electricity from Jan.7, next year, and its 64MW capacity is expected to increase supply in the east coast. Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui, who visited the project site, was satisfied with the progress of the RM80 million project.

"The east coast of Sabah has been facing inadequate electricity supply, and the Kubota power station is badly needed to offset the situation," he said.

Asst Infrastructure Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming, who accompanied Chin, said the gas-fired turbine generator would increase Tawau's power generating capacity to 128MW to meet the peak demand of 90MW at present, and would help reduce power outages in the district.

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd Managing Director Abd Razak Sallim was present. Launching of the station was behind schedule due to the hijack of the turbines, recently, which had caused a set-back when they ended up in the Philippines.

IPP Shutdown: SESB load shedding on the card

Load shedding in our daily conversation can equate to power outage. Power outage to certain consumers at the affected shedding area. AND that is just what's in store for you in the next few months, or maybe longer.

SESB is again faced with failure of one of its Independent Power Producers power generator. According to the press release (pic below) a 65MW gas turbine malfunctioned since Dec 5, and as a result the related 30MW steam turbine, too, is unable to operate. That is 95MW of margin taken out of the total capacity.

Your area could face power outage anytime soon, until further notice.

What this means is that SESB is currently in short supply of power. The state's maximum demand is about 830MW and SESB's total generating capacity is 950MW. With the IPP capacity of 95MW omitted, the utility company has only 855MW at its disposal, leaving no room for safety margin.

With this scenario, at peak hours, you could experience power failures as it is now 'waiting to happen' although SESB had activated the Demand Side Management (DSM). The DSM requires that large power users such as large factories, universities, big shopping malls, water treatment plants, etc will be asked to scale down on power usage (reduced business activity) or alternatively use their own back-up generator sets.

It is very unfair to ask business operators to run their own power generator as it costs a lot in operating expenses, when it is nothing of their fault.

IPPs have the social obligation to make sure power from their plants are supplied to SESB reliably. So is  SESB. The contract should provide for mechanism to strictly tie IPPs to this obligation. People understand that IPPs were asked to 'help' the power utility to supply power due to, probably, insufficient funding on the utility's part. But when equipment within the IPPs' jurisdiction fail too frequently, you start to question the adequacy of the contract:

Where is the safety margin?
Where is the scheduled maintenance program?
Why is the failure always related to emergency repairs?

But this will soon be over you say, because Kubota Power Plant (Tawau) and Kimanis Power Plant (Papar) will be completed very soon and this will take care of things.

I'll say you can have all the power plants in the world. If you don't take care of them with proper maintenance, believe me, we can still have as frequent power failure as we currently have.


Please, No blackout-Christmas

In the meantime, let's hope the festive season is not marred with a lot of power outages. "A lot" definitely does not equate to "better" in this context.