Focus on further increase in the use of renewable energy

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah produces 21 percent of the current total installed renewable energy capacity in the country presently, said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili.

“Of the total (7,271.74 MW), Sabah contributed 407.8 MW, which is equivalent to 19.7 percent of the total installed capacity in Sabah,” he said in his speech at the launch of Sustainable Energy Convention 2018 here yesterday.

He said the renewable energy produced in Sabah was from hydro and from solar.

For Sabah, he said his ministry, the Energy Commission and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) were focusing on using renewable energy and as of Sept 2017, the renewable energy usage capacity in the state was at 169.8 MW.

Maximus said this involved hydro, biomass, biogas and solar energies and hoped that this will be further increased.

He said the operators/owners of the LSS1 and LSS2 in Sabah were waiting for SESB to sign the power purchase agreement, and once finalised, this would result in an additional 122.5 MW for Sabah.

Other sources of renewable energy that he mentioned were wind and wave energy.

He said there was presently a pilot wind project in Kudat and was hoped to be able to generate 15MW this year.

On wave energy, Maximus said no one had made a proposal for it even though the science backing it already existed.

He also said the opportunities in biogas and biomass energy production were huge but cited that the current tariff was probably not attractive enough for the producers to embark into it.

The generation of renewable energy in the country from hydro and other new sources was 7,271.74 MW or 22 percent, he said, adding that the country aimed to produce 50 percent of its energy through renewable energy source.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Haji Aman who was represented by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, urged that energy users be given the awareness to learn how to use energy efficiently as this will help save the environment and reduce cost.

“Saving on electricity through efficient and optimum use is the best method to reduce carbon production per individual as well as provide monetary savings,” he said.

He reminded that climate change was attributed largely to the burning of fossil fuel and the improved standard of living among Malaysians had also increased the need for more energy and other fossil fuels.

“Members of the community must change their lifestyle into one that is more environmentally friendly so that we can sustain it. Over usage of electricity will result in the government raising the amount of energy generated to meet public demand. In line with that, the government has to raise the electricity tariff and increase the bill for electricity energy services,” he said.

Some 200 people attended the Sustainable Energy Convention organised by SESB.

The aim of the convention was for the sharing of information between SESB and parties of interest on the way forward as well as the government's action plan concerning renewable energy; outline the benefits that can benefit the private sector on building management that is cost effective and competitive; to raise awareness and commitment amongst the participants of the convention; to encourage the long term use of renewable energy at premises; and to pioneer the use of renewable energy among the private sector.

Also present at the event were Minister of Tourism, Environment and Culture Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun and SESB managing director Hj Abd Razak Sallim.