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SABAH’S historic and largest hydropower station has returned to full operation, marking the end to the close to three years recovery effort following a devastating landslide in 2022.
The relaunch of the Tenom Pangi Hydropower Station, Malaysia’s largest run-of-river hydropower facility was done on Wednesday.
It also marks the 40th anniversary of the station’s 40 year of generating electricity since 1984.
The plant, located on the Padas River, had all three of its turbines damaged in a landslide on 31 October 2022 due to a landslide.
Partial operations resumed in September 2024, when two turbines were brought back online, but full generating capacity of 66 megawatts was only restored last month, in April 2025, after a RM60 million repair effort led by state utility Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB).
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya called the plant’s return a major step toward stabilising electricity supply in the state.
“With 66 megawatts now being supplied to the state grid, we expect the electricity situation, especially on the west coast, to become more stable,” he said when speaking at the relaunch ceremony in Tenom.
But the reopening was also used to address a long-standing public misconception—that the Tenom Pangi station is responsible for flooding in Beaufort, Tenom, and Sipitang.
“I have visited the station and reviewed the situation myself. “It is clear that this station is not the cause of flooding in those areas,” he said.
He pointed instead to upstream land clearing and logging activities, which he said were likely contributing factors to both the 2022 disaster and local flood risks.
SESB Chairman Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau backed the remarks, explaining that Tenom Pangi operates using a run-of-river system that does not store water like a conventional dam.
“Water is diverted through turbines and released back into the river. There is no large-scale storage here.
“The structure that people often mistake for a dam is actually a diversion gate designed only to redirect part of the river flow for power generation,” he said.
The clarification comes after years of public speculation blaming the plant for seasonal flooding.
SESB officials say they hope the explanation will help improve public understanding of how the facility actually works.
Closing the ceremony, SESB Chief Executive Officer Mohd Yaakob Jaafar praised the teams who carried out the challenging restoration.
“Our teams, together with our contractors, worked tirelessly to overcome the technical and environmental challenges,” Yaakob said.
“Restoring the station to full operation strengthens Sabah’s power system and reflects the dedication of everyone involved.” — May 14, 2025