By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Energy Council (MTS) has in principle approved 723MW of energy projects to cater to the state’s medium-term electricity demand.
Gas-fired power plants in Kimanis and Tawau, totalling 360MW, as well as renewable energy projects from hydro and wind sources producing 363MW, were given conditional technical and commercial approval.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said every decision made by the Council must be taken in a balanced and prudent manner, when chairing the meeting at Menara Kinabalu yesterday.
“This is in line with the state’s economic growth, the needs of the industrial sector, and consumers’ ability to bear reasonable energy generation costs.
“I believe that with the commitment and cooperation of all parties, the MTS will continue to serve as the highest platform for coordinating the state’s energy policies in an integrated manner for the well-being of the people of Sabah,” he said.
He said several fast-track projects approved during the MTS meetings last year were beginning to bear fruit.
Among them was the increase in the power generation reserve margin, from 10 per cent in January 2023 before the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) assumed regulatory authority to 17 per cent currently, and is expected to further increase to 30 per cent by the end of this year.
The MTS-approved fast-track projects also resulted in a reduction in Sabah’s System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), from 363 minutes in the first six months of 2023 to 215 minutes in the first six months of 2024, and further down to 162 minutes in the first six months of this year.
Hajiji also called for the empowerment of State Government-linked companies (GLCs) so they can play a bigger role in the state energy landscape.
