Saturday May 10, 2008 MYT 4:46:00 PM
Sabah's coal-fired power plant project to be relocated
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's controversial coal-fired power plant project is back on track but will be moved to a more "suitable" location in the east coast.
The state government, which scrapped the RM1.3bil coal plant project targeted for Lahad Datu for environmental reasons, has agreed in principle that the 300MW plant be relocated, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said.
Speaking to reporters Saturday, Shaziman said that Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman has agreed that the coal powered plant project be moved away from Lahad Datu, the gateway to Sabah's world renown Danum Valley forest.
"It will be up to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd and its parent company Tenanga Nasional Berhad to identify a new area," he said after a briefing on Sabah's power situation by SESB here, attended by state Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan and various senior ministry officials.
He explained that the coal plant was the only suitable energy resource for Sabah’s east coast, as most power plants were presently concentrated on the west coast and those in the east coast were old diesel powered plants that needed to be decommissioned.
He said the coal plant and another 300MW gas-fired power plant in Kimanis were on the cards to meet the long term power needs of the state, though they were looking for a "fast track" plan to set up a 100MW plant to meet power requirements by 2010.
"Sabah's power situation is critical, at the moment it is just enough with some 81MW supply coming from private producers," Shaziman said, explaining that the state’s current power supply was 768MW, against a demand of about 657MW.
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