Government to add fifth turbine to Bakun HEP — Abg Johari

KUCHING: The Sarawak government will install another turbine at Bakun Hydroelectric Power (HEP) Dam to generate more power.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the additional turbine is expected to generate 300 megawatts of power.

“At the moment, there are four turbines and with the additional one, we are going to have five turbines at Bakun HEP,” he told reporters yesterday after officiating at the Extraordinary Delegates Conference of United People’s Party (UPP) here yesterday.

In his speech during the conference, Abang Johari said the Sarawak government wanted to add an additional turbine so that more power could be generated from the dam.

He said the decision to acquire full ownership of Bakun HEP Dam from the federal government was because the dam is a major strategic asset.

“It is a good buy. Bakun (dam) is commercially viable and would provide another source of income for the Sarawak government in the long run,” he said.

State-owned power utility and energy development corporation Sarawak Energy acquired the dam – the largest hydroelectric plant in the country – on Aug 16 last year for RM2.5 billion.

The acquisition of the 2,400MW dam enabled Sarawak Energy to have full ownership and operatorship of all major electricity facilities in the state.

Bakun HEP Dam was completed in 2010 and was partly commissioned the following year before being fully commissioned in July 2014.

Apart from Bakun HEP Dam, Sarawak also has the 944MW Murum HEP Dam and the 100MW Batang Ai HEP Dam.