Dr Rundi: Sarawak all out towards attaining full power supply coverage by 2025
THE Sarawak government is committed to achieving full electricity coverage by 2025, with its own funding in view of the uncertainty in federal allocations.
In this respect, Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi says in the pursuit towards becoming a developed economy by 2030, Sarawak also strives to raise the standard of living among the rural populace.
“There is a strong, positive correlation between economic growth and power demand. In this regard, new strategies and unconventional ‘out- of-the-box’ approaches are explored to accelerate electricity supply to the rural areas, and realise the vision of full (electricity) coverage in Sarawak before 2025.
“Since the implementation of NKRA ( National Key Result Area) in 2009, another 115,000 rural households have been supplied with 24-hour electricity – bringing the coverage in rural areas to 91 per cent,” he said in delivering his ministry’s winding-up speech during DUN sitting yesterday.
According to Dr Rundi, who is Kemena assemblyman, the current grid generation’s installed capacity is 4,641 megawatts (MW) to meet the peak demand of 3,623MW.
“The state will ensure adequate, reliable and affordable power supply, through prudent planning and implementation of our energy resources and power infrastructure, to accelerate the economic growth in Sarawak.”
Under the Sarawak Rural Electrification Masterplan, Sarawak targets to achieve full 24-hour electricity coverage through the implementation of various strategies – they include 33 kilovolt (kV) and below distribution under grid extension, 132kV and above transmission grid extension and off- grid stand-alone renewable Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (Sares) system.
The preference would be through grid connections for long-term, reliable and sustainable supply connection where land accessibility is available or likely to be completed in the near future.
On the other hand, the stand-alone Sares system would only be slated for the remotest areas unreachable by the grid, disclosed Dr Rundi.
“Under the masterplan, the implementation of these strategies requires a total of RM3.22 billion for full electrification by 2025. A special allocation amounting to RM2.37 billion has been approved by the state government for 2019 and 2020.
“This will increase the household electrification coverage from 91 per cent to 97 per cent,” he said.
However, Dr Rundi said for the rural areas already supplied with electricity via these strategies, there are still late applicants whose houses have yet to reach completion and also new houses being built after the completion of electrification projects.
“The number of these additional or late applicants is growing rapidly statewide, posing a big challenge for my ministry to manage.
“These applicants are also considered in the masterplan for connection of supply under the Additional or Late Applicant Fund (Alaf) and will continue until full electrification (coverage) is achieved before 2025,” he added.