Sarawak hydropower seeks private funds
The private sector is increasingly playing a pivotal role in the development of hydropower plants, the International Hydropower Association (IHA) has highlighted, with Sarawak etching out a 80 per cent contribution from private players in the energy and industry development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) by 2030.
Centered around Baram in Eastern Sarawak, one of the five main growth nodes of the vast swathe of land that composes SCORE, hydropower, when taking Sarawak’s electricity tariff of 35 sen per kWh into consideration, could generate RM 7 million ($2.2 million) per hour when the total 20,000MW of capacity are finally realised.
However, there is a long journey ahead to getting these turbines moving. In 2009, Sarawak hydropower plants produced just 108 MW, and in 2015 – with the addition of several new plants already in Bakun and Murum – power generation will reach 3,500 MW so far.
It is estimated that to reach the 2030 goals, assistance from the private sector would need to come in the vicinity of RM 267 billion for the industry and power sector of SCORE, while the private sector would lead a RM 67 billion thrust towards the development of physical, human and institutional infrastructure.
This growth strategy appears aligned with the global trend in financing. The private sector’s investment in hydropower is experiencing a robust growth, Richard Taylor, executive director of IHA said on March 6.
“The private sector spending in hydropower is dramatically increasing with most hydropower projects having private sector investments. That’s not to say it’s exclusive (among renewable energy sources), but the role between public and private partnership is coming out and models behind that are diverse,” Taylor was quoted as saying in the Borneo Post.
Speaking for the global potential of the renewable energy source, Taylor added: “Hydropower is one of the main components in the world’s electricity supply with 150 countries using hydropower in some way and about 60 of those countries have hydropower providing a majority of the electricity. It generates 16 per cent of the world’s current energy generation and for 2012, roughly 1,000GW of energy is provided from hydropower.”
The Bakun hydropower project in SCORE has an installed capacity of 2,400 MW and 1,776 MW of firmed capacity, with its first turbine operational as of January 2011, while the he Murum hydropower project has an installed capacity of 944 MW and a firmed capacity of 635 MW, with its first turbine operational in August 2012.
[caption id="attachment_7458" align="alignleft" width="300"] Click to enlarge[/caption] The private sector is increasingly playing a pivotal role in the development of hydropower plants, the International Hydropower Association (IHA) has highlighted, with Sarawak etching out a 80 per cent contribution from private players in the energy and industry development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) by 2030. Centered around Baram in Eastern Sarawak, one of the five main growth nodes of the vast swathe of land that composes SCORE, hydropower, when taking Sarawak’s electricity tariff of 35 sen per kWh into consideration, could generate RM 7 million ($2.2 million) per...
The private sector is increasingly playing a pivotal role in the development of hydropower plants, the International Hydropower Association (IHA) has highlighted, with Sarawak etching out a 80 per cent contribution from private players in the energy and industry development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) by 2030.
Centered around Baram in Eastern Sarawak, one of the five main growth nodes of the vast swathe of land that composes SCORE, hydropower, when taking Sarawak’s electricity tariff of 35 sen per kWh into consideration, could generate RM 7 million ($2.2 million) per hour when the total 20,000MW of capacity are finally realised.
However, there is a long journey ahead to getting these turbines moving. In 2009, Sarawak hydropower plants produced just 108 MW, and in 2015 – with the addition of several new plants already in Bakun and Murum – power generation will reach 3,500 MW so far.
It is estimated that to reach the 2030 goals, assistance from the private sector would need to come in the vicinity of RM 267 billion for the industry and power sector of SCORE, while the private sector would lead a RM 67 billion thrust towards the development of physical, human and institutional infrastructure.
This growth strategy appears aligned with the global trend in financing. The private sector’s investment in hydropower is experiencing a robust growth, Richard Taylor, executive director of IHA said on March 6.
“The private sector spending in hydropower is dramatically increasing with most hydropower projects having private sector investments. That’s not to say it’s exclusive (among renewable energy sources), but the role between public and private partnership is coming out and models behind that are diverse,” Taylor was quoted as saying in the Borneo Post.
Speaking for the global potential of the renewable energy source, Taylor added: “Hydropower is one of the main components in the world’s electricity supply with 150 countries using hydropower in some way and about 60 of those countries have hydropower providing a majority of the electricity. It generates 16 per cent of the world’s current energy generation and for 2012, roughly 1,000GW of energy is provided from hydropower.”
The Bakun hydropower project in SCORE has an installed capacity of 2,400 MW and 1,776 MW of firmed capacity, with its first turbine operational as of January 2011, while the he Murum hydropower project has an installed capacity of 944 MW and a firmed capacity of 635 MW, with its first turbine operational in August 2012.
