Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) and its parent company Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) should stop coercing the people of Sabah, particularly in Sandakan, to accept the controversial proposed construction of a coal-fired power plant in Sandakan, said the state's former deputy chief minister and former state science and technology adviser Tham Nyit Shen yesterday.

Instead, the authorities should start exploring other alternative sources of energy that are readily available in Sabah, including hydro and natural gas, he added.

Tham was responding to recent statement by SESB managing director Baharin Din, that the most efficient solution to the ongoing power supply woes besieging the state, the east coast especially, would be to set up a coal-fired power plant. But this plan has met with strong objections from the public.

taman wahyu tnb electrical power cables tower 051206 02 "To imply that the rejection of the proposed coal plant by the Sandakan people had contributed to power shortage in the state is totally absurd, unacceptable and tantamount to holding the people to ransom!" said Tham, formerly of Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp).

Furthermore, even if approved, the coal-fired power plant would take between three to four years to build.

"Unfortunately, we can't wait that long as the poor power supply situation had been around for quite some time and is affecting the people and the state's development," Tham said.

Alternative resources

Being the sole power supplier in Sabah, SESB must bear full responsibility to provide adequate power supply to the consumers, he said, adding that it should have a vision and an effective and comprehensive power masterplan for Sabah.

Prior to joining politics, Tham is a former engineer of Sabah Electricity Bhd (SEB), the predecessor to SESB.

While maintaining that it was possible to build a "clean coal plant" as demonstrated in many advanced countries like Japan, Australia, and the US, he nonetheless stressed that since the people of Sandakan had rejected it, SESB must immediately explore alternative energy resources.

He noted similar views during a state dialogue session chaired by him in Sandakan last year on clean coal technology. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had strongly objected to the proposed formation of the coal-fired power plant in Sandakan.

sarawak energy board slide show hydropower project in sarawak 180608 bakun dam He then brought up the fact that there had been so much talk about developing hydro power in Sabah in places like Tenom, Upper Padas and Liwagu, including getting supply from Bakun dam (left) in neighbouring Sarawak. There are plans to also set up gas depots in Kota Belud, Kimanis and Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park.

He also took a swipe at Baharin for urging power consumers in the state to cut down on their consumption during peak hours, describing it as a joke and insensitive towards the inconvenience faced by the people especially during the current hot weather. He added that it is difficult for people to do work or even sleep without switching on the air-conditioner or fan.

Tham said that it was an irony and a gross insult to the people of Sabah that while the state is facing an acute energy shortage, the state government had allowed natural gas to be piped all the way to Bintulu in Sarawak, but nothing was mentioned about the supply of power produced by the Bakun dam to Sabah.

"As a former engineer of SEB, and a former minister, I know none of us can run away from this responsibility. So, please, those who are now in position, from the senior officials of SESB to ministers as well as YBs, please do something for the sake of our state and the people," the former deputy chief minister said.

What's the delay?

He criticised TNB for allegedly causing delays in many of the power supply projects that had been approved by the federal government.

"Why can't SESB help to speed them up? Why does TNB keep throwing spanners into the projects? It's perplexing that the minister says one thing, but SESB/TNB says another. Are they controlled by the opposition now?" he asked.

As an example, he cited delays in executing an approved gas power plant project for Sabah, which was announced last year by the former Energy Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor in Parliament. The project was awarded to a local company called SPR, yet TNB/SESB had chosen to ignore it as if it does not exist, Tham explained.

"TNB/SESB's attitude towards the project is made clearer by their latest unilateral suspension in negotiations on the Power Purchase Agreement," Tham revealed.

"In the meantime, they keep announcing the Petronas-Yayasan Sabah 300 megawatt Kimanis project even though it has yet to receive official approval i.e. letter of award from the Federal Economic Planning Unit (EPU). What are they trying to prove here?" he asked.