SCORE set to become major power exporter

SIBU: Sarawak has taken the right step to become a leading growth area in the country with its Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) initiative.

Oxford Business Group (OBG) managing editor for Asia, Paulius Kuncinas, said the state had done very well in the last 20 to 30 years by transforming itself from agrarian to industrial and later post-industrial economy.

“Economists are extremely bullish and optimistic about Sarawak’s future, especially in the energy sector.

“Undoubtedly, the state has the potential to deliver the largest power capacity in the country, which will serve Sarawak well in developing its energy-intensive sector, such as aluminium smelting and semiconductors manufacturing,” he said in his paper ‘Reports on Sarawak Economy’ at the ‘Sarawak Human Capital Development’ seminar organised by University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) yesterday.

The seminar was officiated at by Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.

There were four speakers, including Kuncinas, at the one-day seminar, held at UCTS campus.

Other speakers were Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) chief executive officer Tan Sri Datuk Amar Wilson Baya Dandot, who presented ‘Impact of SCORE to Sarawak’s Future’, director of Manpower Development Unit of the Chief Minister’s Department Dr Abdul Rahman Deen (Sarawak Manpower Development Needs: How Schools Can Support the Manpower Preparation for Sarawak) and UCTS vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Abdul Hakim Juri (UCTS Contribution for Sarawak Manpower Development).

Kuncinas said he believed Sarawak would become a major exporter of energy with its 28,000 megawatts power production potential.

He said 2015 was a very important year for Southeast Asia as it was expected to deliver an ambitious plan called the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

“Malaysia happens to be the chair of Asean in this critical year.

“So what Sarawak can expect from Asean? In the energy sector, there is a growing recognition that Asean as a community should share its financial and labour resources because I believe Asean as a whole has a lot of potential in exporting professionals like engineers and financial accountants.

“I hope one day we will see transmission lines running to peninsular Malaysia, then maybe to the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar and etcetera.

“I believe one day Asean will deliver a pan-Asian electricity grid in which Sarawak will play a very important role as a net power exporter.”

He added that Brunei was keen to import energy, while the Philippines, especially Mindanao, was desperate for energy.