KUCHING: Sarawak is poised to position Borneo as a major energy exporter in Southeast Asia, leveraging its abundant natural resources, strategic location, and commitment to clean energy, says Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
The Sarawak Premier said the region's energy demand is projected to increase by over 60% by 2040, driven by rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
"The challenge before us is not just to meet this demand but to do so responsibly and sustainably. Sarawak is committed to supporting Southeast Asia's clean energy transition," he said in a keynote address at the Energy Industries Council (EIC) Connect Energy Borneo conference on Tuesday (Feb 25).
Abang Johari said Sarawak, together with Kalimantan, has the potential to be the "battery of Asean," supplying renewable power to the region through the interconnected Borneo and Asean power grid.
Sarawak is currently exporting hydropower to West Kalimantan through the Trans Borneo Power Grid. Plans are in place to develop the Sarawak-Brunei power interconnection by 2030 with an initial export capacity of 30-50MW.
"Additionally, Sarawak is on track to export approximately 30 to 50MW of renewable power to Sabah by the end of this year, facilitated by a 34km 275kV transmission line," he said.
Abang Johari added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently requested Sarawak to consider supplying renewable power to the southern Philippines.
With the Sarawak-Sabah interconnection set to be energised this year, this could be done through the Sabah-Palawan interconnection project, which is currently under study.
The Premier also said that the 1,000MW interconnection project to Singapore is in progress, with technical discussions in the final stages.
"Given the complexity of installing one of the world's few long-distance submarine cables, we are working closely with all stakeholders, including Indonesia," he said.
