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KUALA LUMPUR – Development permission has been granted for Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) to build a 100MW battery energy storage system as part of a short-term measure to deal with Sabah’s power woes.
According to SESB chairman Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, the Malaysian Energy Commission has approved the battery storage system.
He expressed hope that the Electric Supply and Tariff Planning and Implementation Committee will now consider the matter positively.
“At SESB, we hope that the committee will consider ST’s decision positively for the common good and well-being,” he said.
“For your information, this Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will store electrical energy that is not used during off-peak hours, which is the energy not used from around midnight to 7 in the morning.
“This energy supply will serve as a backup to meet the high-demand needs during peak hours, especially during hot weather or other related factors, including system breakdown,” the Tuaran MP said during his Budget 2024 debate speech in the Dewan Rakyat.
Load shedding remains common in Sabah because the reserve margin in the state stands below 12% due to low power generation capacity.
In the same light, Tangau also urged Sabah to emulate the power supply governance system in Sarawak and by the federal authorities when Sabah takes over regulatory control over power supply on January 1 next year.
"For example, at the federal level, there is the policy maker, which is the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry; there is the regulator, which is the Energy Commission; and there is the utility company, which is Tenaga Nasional Bhd.
“All three components work together as one team, ensuring seamless governance rather than working in isolation, trying to outdo each other,” he said.
Sabah had handed over regulatory control over electricity to the federal government in 1982 due to financial reasons. The authority was reverted to the state for the same reason, he said. – The Vibes, October 19, 2023
