Sarawak Energy awards RM1.2 billion 500kV backbone projects

Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) awarded six contracts packages worth total of RM1.2 billion for the 500kV Transmission Backbone project yesterday.

Based on the information submitted by successful tenderers, SEB said, over 60 local companies, employing an estimated 30,000 workers, will be involved in the awarded contracts.

Successful bidders of the project which is expected to commence in October 2013 and is scheduled for completion in stages from December 2015 to June 2016 are:

Six successful bidders,with more than 50% local participation

Better power supply system for Sarawak?

The local participation across the six packages is well above 50% the company said. The 500kV project would extend over 500 kilometres from Similajau in Bintulu to Tondong in Kuching.

Sarawak Energy said the 500kV transmission backbone project would support the future development of the company's generating system and provide a strong security of supply to the fast-expanding Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE) customers.


TheGreenMechanics: Sarawak is a big state and the high voltage transmission lines can not only carry more power, but they also have lower losses. High voltage lines of max 500kV (so far) is used by TNB in West Malaysia.

Comtec to build one of world’s largest solar wafer plants in Sarawak for RM1.2bil

Citing established power supply infrastructure, transparent policies, and  geographic convenience as pulling factor, China's Comtec Solar Group decided to choose Sarawak as its international expansion target.

In 2010, Sabah had a rare opportunity of attracting RM5.2 billion in foreign direct investment from another China solar player, Sun Bear Solar Ltd, to set up the first solar glass manufacturing in Malaysia. This plant was supposed to be sited at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, but due to power supply shortage the plan did not materialised.

It is apparent that, unlike Sarawak, we do not have an 'established infrastructure' yet.


Sama Jaya Industrial Zone was developed by Sarawak government to encourage the siting of electronic industries. Comtec solar plant will be sited here.


The Sarawak solar wafer manufacturing plant in brief:

Investment               : RM1.2 billion ($373 million)
Location                  : Sama Jaya Industrial Park, Kuching
Occupied area         : 40 acres
Job opportunity       : 1,300 new jobs
Construction            : Starting June 2013, expected completion Dec-2013
Production               : starting 1Q, 2014
Main customers       : Sunpower in Melaka, Panasonic in Kulim, Kedah


Comtec solar plant a sign of intensifying investments

China-based Comtec Solar Group (Comtec) via its subsidiary Comtec Solar International (M) Sdn Bhd has formally officiated the ground breaking for its RM1.2 billion solar wafer manufacturing plant yesterday which will eventually have an annual production capacity of one gigawatt of N-type mono solar wafer.

Having acquired approximately 40 acres of land in Sama Jaya Industrial Park, this makes the Sama Jaya plant one of the biggest mono solar wafer manifacturing facilities in the world upon completion.

With the development of Comtec’s solar plant capable of supplying energy at reasonable a price, it is hoped that it could create the link between Samalaju and Sama Jaya.

Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud highlighted that, “With the establishment of Comtec’s solar plant, I believe it will push further our desire to see that the plan to attract the solar industry would be coming forth as the result of our preparations to attract energy intensive industries.”

Second Minister for Resource Planning and Environment, Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah said in his opening remarks, “Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone is developed by the state government to cater for the high-technology industry where our young university and college graduates can find employment.”

Explaining on the plant’s construction, Comtec chairman John Zhang said, “Our phase 1 construction will start by the end of June and is expected to be completed before the end of 2013 by Sinohydro.

“The production and the supply to our customers like Sunpower in Melaka and Panasonic in Kulim will begin in the first quarter of 2014 and ramping up throughout the year.”

To note, the Comtec Group is one of the world’s top leading professional solar silicon ingots and N type wafer manufacturer, with a non-disruptive technology that dramatically delivers superior performance than normal P-type mono and multi wafers in current worldwide solar market.

“Before we decided to choose Sarawak, we reviewed a number of location options worldwide,” Zhang told reporters.

“After an extensive evaluation of established infrastructure, transparent policies, ethical practices, production cost, greographic conveninence and encouraging investments, we finally chose Samalaju in November last year."
- John Zhang, Comtec Solar Group chairman 

“We were impressed with Kuching’s well-established solar manufacturing base, experienced workforce and its attractive power supply infrastructure facilities,” said Zhang.



Source: The Borneo Post

Mill wastes used to generate renewable energy: Sarawak

According to Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corp (STIDC), major plywood mills in Sarawak are increasingly using wood residues to generate energy for their operations.

That's cool!



There are now 14 biomass plants in Sarawak, which supplied energy for use in the mills. In fact, major timber groups such as Shin Yang, Samling, Rimbunan Hijau, Ta Ann Holdings and KTS all owned biomass plants. Last year the volume of wood residues consumed by these biomass plants was about 1.1 million tonnes. - Sourced The StarBiz.

One of Sarawak's major timber mills - Rimbunan Hujau. Photo: arctracer

Ample supply for biomass fuel

Besides using their own wood residues, some of the mills also sourced wood wastes from smaller mills and other wood processing factories to feed their biomass plants. STIDC figures show that there are 45 plywood mills, 171 sawmills, 21 veneer mills and 34 dowel/moulding mills in Sarawak.

Using wood residues to generate electricity was one effective way to manage wastes so that it will not cause harm to the environment. In the early years in Sabah and Sarawak, wood residues were not utilised economically with much disposed of through open burning, burning in incinerators or dumped into the river causing pollution and other environmental problems.


Generating capacity

KTS group deputy MD, Mr. Lau said an average plywood mill with a monthly output of between 7,000 m3 and 8,000 m3 can generate wood residues to produce between 3MW and 5MW of electricity.

A biomass plant with 3MW capacity will cost between RM10mil and RM15mil to build while the capital investment in a 5MW power plant is between RM20mil and RM30mil. The amount of electricity a biomass plant can generate will depend on the type of technology used.

Lau pointed out that biomass plants were not cheap in terms of maintenance whereby plywood mills with their own biomass plants would still have to pay Syarikat SESCO Bhd, which is owned by Sarawak Energy Bhd for standby electricity based on minimum and maximum demand.


Payback period

Although the one-off capital investment in a biomass plants is huge, the long-term economic returns from energy savings would be substantial if plywood mills had to purchase power from the state grid.

A plywood mill manager said his mill could save between RM400,000 and RM500,000 a month in electricity bill by having its own biomass plant. As such, simple payback period for a 3MW plant is between 2 to 3 years.

That is pretty fast if you ask me.