Sabah-Sarawak power link boosted by completion of Mengalong PMU in Sipitang
Yaakob (center) during his visit to the 275kV Mengalong Main Input Substation (PMU) in Sipitang.
SIPITANG (May 15): Sabah Electricity, together with the Sabah Electricity Supply Special Project Team (PPKBES) under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Malaysia (PETRA), has successfully completed the 275kV Mengalong Main Input Substation (PMU) in Sipitang.
The Mengalong PMU is part of a key transmission grid interconnection project that will facilitate the exchange of electricity between Sabah and Sarawak.
Sabah Electricity Chief Executive Officer Mohd Yaakob Jaafar said the Mengalong PMU was completed in September 2024, and he hopes the Sarawak section of the interconnection will be completed soon.
'The scope of this project also includes the construction of a 275kV high-voltage transmission grid tower and a seven-kilometre line from the Mengalong PMU in Sipitang to the Sarawak border,' he said during his visit to the PMU on May 14.
Once commissioned, the Sabah-Sarawak interconnection grid will initially supply 30MW of electricity daily, with the potential to increase to 300MW.
Yaakob added that the project will position Sabah's transmission grid as a 'gateway' for distributing energy to neighbouring countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia, contributing to the ASEAN Power Grid Interconnection initiative.
'In addition to the Sabah-Sarawak link, Sabah Electricity is also part of efforts to expand cross-border energy supply networks across ASEAN. This includes proposed connections to the Philippines via Palawan and from Lahad Datu to Mindanao, as well as a link between Tawau-Kalabakan and North Kalimantan, Indonesia,' he said.
While discussions with the Philippines are ongoing, a feasibility study is actively underway for the Tawau-North Kalimantan connection. A trilateral meeting involving Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sabah Electricity, chaired by the ASEAN Charter, will be held in Jakarta.
'The Tawau-North Kalimantan grid connection is expected to be completed by 2030,' Yaakob said, reaffirming Sabah Electricity's commitment to ensuring regional energy stability.
He also expressed gratitude to PETRA for approving RM35 million in funding for the Mengalong PMU project and thanked all departments and agencies involved.
On the Sarawak section, Yaakob noted that construction has been delayed due to obstacles along the transmission line route from the Northern Grid to Lawas.
'The original plan was to complete the connection last year, but construction is still ongoing. Once completed under the Power Exchange Agreement, Sabah will begin by supplying 30MW of electricity, with potential expansion up to 300MW,' he said.
Yaakob concluded by emphasizing that this initiative is vital for increasing Sabah's energy reserves and ensuring stable electricity supply for consumers. Some of the energy demand will be met through internal generation, while the remainder will be imported from Sarawak.
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