Kapit power outage: Restoration works still ongoing, says SEB
KUCHING: Works on restoring electricity supply to major parts across Kapit District are on-going, following loss of supply to about 5,500 customers which began at around 2.30pm on Tuesday.
The ensuing 20-hour power outage is said to have been caused by excavation works by a private contractor, which severely damaged underground cables at Jalan Selirik in Kapit.
According to a statement by Sarawak Energy Bhd ( SEB), the blackout affected the town, Jalan Selirik, Jalan Melekun and Jalan Ulu Sungai Kapit.
“Sarawak Energy will charge the contractor for the damage, and will look into the possibility of taking legal action against them,” the statement said.
The SEB deployed a technical team from Sibu to repair the damaged cable. It is learnt that the generator sets at Kapit power station have been activated, as repair works are on- going. The activation partially restored power supply to the affected areas around 11.30am yesterday.
Meanwhile, many locals said such interruption would normally last about two hours at most. However, they viewed this particular incident as ‘a record of sorts’.
Many residents complained about ‘a dark and stuffy Tuesday night and Wednesday morning’, while the business community lamented ‘lost opportunities’.
It is reported by SEB that the power supply in Kapit had been restored around 8.30pm last night.
SEB group chief operating officer Lu Yew Hung said the corporation ‘truly regretted the inconvenience caused to customers in Kapit’.
“Works contractors must be careful, especially when undertaking excavation works near power facilities. This is not the first time that excavation works have damaged underground cables, despite our constant reminders that contractors must take precautionary measures before proceeding with works on locations where there are overhead and underground power lines running through,” he said.
Lu said contractors must check the cable routes with SEB first, in making sure that everything would be safe and all the guidelines followed.
“Do not assume the location or the depth of the underground cables. Taking these basic precautionary measures will avoid damaging the cables and causing any power outage.
“This will also ensure the safety of the contractors and their workers – we do not want anybody to get hurt. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that everybody goes home safely.”
It is stated that SEB is in the midst of reinforcement works to strengthen the supply network across Kapit.
According to Lu, the corporation is strengthening the reliability of power supply and providing additional capacity to cater for Kapit’s growing demands by undertaking major reinforcement works costing approximately RM180 million, to be running over the next three years.
“The immediate works in progress are the laying of a second underground cable from the existing Kapit substation (132/33kv) to Kapit power station, scheduled for completion by the end of this year. The project includes the installation of a 5MVA transformer – this will reinforce the reliability of supply for Kapit town.
“We are also constructing a new substation (Selirik 33/11kV) – scheduled for completion by 2020. This RM20-million investment aims to further enhance reliability for the whole of Kapit. We are also constructing a new 33KVoverhead lines from Kapit to Baleh, scheduled for completion in 2021. When Baleh hydroelectricity plant is commissioned in 2025, this new line will provide a third source of power supply to Kapit town.
“In our mission to deliver reliable, secure power supply across Sarawak, we often encounter challenges, such as damaged equipment as a result of careless contractors, cable theft, as well as blocked access to project sites by land claimants,” said Lu.
SEB has been issuing advisories and reminders via print media, radio campaigns, exhibitions and other outreach programmes to educate stakeholders and also the public on the impact of delays caused by way leave issues, other than vandalism and copper theft affecting electrical infrastructure and facilities.