TENOM PANGI HYDROPOWER STATION TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL BY YEAR-END - MADIUS

LAHAD DATU, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- The Tenom Pangi Hydroelectric Power Station (SJHTP) is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year, generating up to 66 megawatts (MW) of electricity, according to Sabah Electricity chairman Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.

He said the power station has three turbines, with two currently in operation and the third expected to be fully functional by the end of the year.

"Once this power plant is fully operational, we anticipate increasing the reserve margin for electricity supply to around 25 per cent by the middle of next year, likely in June or July," he told Bernama after a working visit to the Sabah Electricity office here today.

When asked about the state’s current electricity reserve margin, which stands at around five per cent, Madius acknowledged that the figure is very low.

"Even if the reserve margin reaches 10 per cent, it’s still insufficient. If a generator malfunctions, power outages occur automatically, which is why we’ve had to implement load-shedding measures," he explained. 

Sabah Electricity is working to increase the reserve margin through initiatives such as the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Lahad Datu with a capacity of 100MW and another 100MW gas-powered facility in Kimanis, he added.

Commenting on electricity supply issues in Sabah’s east coast, Madius said the power generation in the region is nearing 300MW, but the electricity used there is supplied from Sabah’s west coast via a 275-kilowatt-per-hour (kWh) transmission line. If any disruptions, such as a trip, occur, it affects the entire east coast.

"We need to communicate to the public and local leaders the importance of an additional transmission line. Currently, the line runs from Kimanis to Sandakan.

"We require a second transmission line from Sipitang to Tawau, referred to as the 'Southern Line', which spans approximately 300 kilometres," he said.

-- BERNAMA