300MW of power from Bakun HEP by end of 2010
KUCHING: The first turbine of the Bakun Hydro-Electric Project is expected to begin generating power in the last quarter of 2010.Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd general manager Tan Yong Long told a dialogue with the media here on Wednesday evening that the turbine would generate some 300 megawatts (MW) of power.
He said it would then be followed by seven other turbines, which would be activated one after the other every three months until the project’s completion date which is by the end of 2011.
“Whether or not we can start as hoped, however, also depends on when impoundment begins and if Sesco had laid down its cables already,” said Tan.
He said each turbine could run for 25 years before it needs to have an overhaul and that since all begin to operate at different times, the dam would still continue to generate power even if a turbine has to go through maintenance work.
Sarawak Hidro managing director Zulkifle Osman told the dialogue that since Bakun was designed to generate power for Peninsular Malaysia, the dam was built to generate more than the required 1,170 MW via its eight turbines.
He said there was easily an extra of 1,000MW of power for the state. He further said Bakun’s civil work alone cost RM2.3billion.
It was learnt that a special purpose vehicle, a joint collaboration between Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Sarawak Energy Berhad, was currently looking at the specifications for submarine cables to transfer power to Peninsular Malaysia.
Laying of the two submarine cables will be put to open tender and that each cable is said to be 700 metres in length.
