Latest news with #Yaakob
.png&w=3840&q=100)
Daily Express
17-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Don't protest energy projects: Pangi plant not behind Beaufort floods
Published on: Saturday, May 17, 2025 Published on: Sat, May 17, 2025 By: Crystal E Hermenegildus Text Size: Yaakob (right) during the interview. Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Electricity Chairman Datuk Seri Madius Tangau said the support of all stakeholders is essential to ensure that efforts to increase the state's power supply can move forward smoothly. He said this is needed to meet the increasing demand, the Energy Commission has, in principle, approved for another run-off river scheme at the Pangi Hydroelectric Power Plant site. Advertisement He urged the public to avoid protesting or resisting energy projects that are critical to strengthening Sabah's power supply. 'This development (Pangi) could boost power generation to over 400kW (kilowatt), approaching 500kW,' Madius said during the official relaunch of the Pangi Hydroelectric Plant's operations in Tenom on Wednesday. Responding to concerns from the public, especially those in Beaufort, he clarified that the Pangi plant is not the cause of flooding in the district, despite frequent claims. 'We've been briefed that the Pangi plant isn't responsible for the floods in Beaufort, so we hope there won't be any further objections from the local communities,' Madius said. Advertisement He explained that the flooding and landslide at the plant site in 2022 were partly due to human activities, while the ongoing floods in Beaufort and surrounding areas are unrelated. 'The Pangi plant isn't a dam and doesn't release water, so it doesn't contribute to flooding downstream,' Madius said. With several major projects underway, including the 100MW (megawatt) Battery Energy Storage System in Lahad Datu, the Rental Gas Project in Kimanis, and the Kimanis Power Plant, Madius expressed confidence that Sabah is on track to reach its goal of 20 per cent power reserve by the end of this year. Meanwhile, Sabah is still waiting for Sarawak to complete its part of the much-anticipated Sabah-Sarawak 275kV transmission grid interconnection project, which is essential for both states to move forward with plans to strengthen their power supply systems. Sabah Electricity Chief Executive Officer, Mohd Yaakob Jaafar, said that while Sabah finished its portion of the project last year, Sarawak is currently facing construction delays. 'There are indications that Sarawak aims to complete their side within this year, but based on our assessment, it may take a bit longer,' he said during a visit to the hydroelectric plant in Tenom on Wednesday. Once the entire project is completed, Sabah expects an immediate boost of about 30MW to its power reserves, with the potential to scale up to 300MW. Yaakob also said Sabah is currently preparing a feasibility study for a separate interconnection linking Tawau to North Kalimantan, and consultants have already been appointed for the task. However, he said, a grant initially provided by the United States for this study had been withdrawn due to recent shifts in the US administration. 'We now need to consult with our international partners to determine the best way to move forward with the study,' he said. Yaakob added that a meeting was set to take place in Jakarta on Thursday, led by the Asean Centre for Energy, with participation from Indonesia's Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) and Sabah Electricity, to address this and other related issues. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Sabah Electricity: S'wak grid project key to electricity goals
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is awaiting Sarawak's completion of its portion of the much-anticipated Sabah-Sarawak 275kV transmission grid interconnection project so that both states can proceed with their power supply plans, says Sabah Electricity chief executive officer Mohd Yaakob Jaafar. He said Sabah completed its portion last year but Sarawak is facing construction delays. 'There is indication that the Sarawak side aims to complete their part this year. But from what we've assessed, we might have to wait a little longer,' he said during a visit to the plant in Tenom on Wednesday. He said Sabah's power reserve is expected to increase by around 30MW, with the potential to increase to 300MW once the project is completed. According to Yaakob, this project is critical to Sabah's power reserve margin and efforts to provide consumers with a stable power supply. This project received an allocation of RM35mil from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation. The Asean power grid interconnection project, which aims to connect the Philippines from Kufat to Pahlawan and from Lahad Datu to Mindanao, as well as link Indonesia through Tawau (Kalabakan) to north Kalimantan, faces numerous challenges that require attention from all involved parties. 'On our part, we are currently drafting a feasibility study for the interconnection from Tawau to north Kalimantan, and we have appointed consultants for this task,' he stated. However, he added that the grant previously received to conduct the study had been withdrawn due to a change in policies by the United States during Donald Trump's administration. 'We need to engage in discussions with our partner countries regarding the next steps for advancing this study,' he said.
Borneo Post
15-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
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.
The Star
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Sabah awaits Sarawak's completion of power grid project
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is still waiting for Sarawak to complete its portion of the highly anticipated Sabah-Sarawak 275kV transmission grid interconnection project so that both states can proceed with power supply enhancement plans. Sabah Electricity Chief Executive Officer Mohd Yaakob Jaafar said Sabah completed its portion last year, but Sarawak is experiencing construction delays. "There is indication that the Sarawak side aims to complete their part this year, but from what we've assessed, we might have to wait a little longer," he said during a visit to the plant in Tenom on Wednesday (May 14). He said Sabah expects to see an increase of around 30MW in power reserve, which could potentially rise to 300MW once the project is completed. Yaakob said this project is crucial for Sabah's power reserve margin and in efforts to provide a stable power supply to users in the state. The project was completed with a RM35mil allocation from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation. When asked about the Asean power grid interconnection project to the Philippines from Kudat to Palawan and from Lahad Datu to Mindanao, as well as to Indonesia via Tawau (Kalabakan) to North Kalimantan, he said there were still many issues to address. "For our part, we are drafting a feasibility study for the interconnection from Tawau to North Kalimantan, and consultants have been appointed," he said. However, due to changes in the United States government, the grant they received previously for this feasibility study has been withdrawn, said Yaakob. "So we need to discuss with our partner countries on how to move forward with this study," he said. A meeting is scheduled in Jakarta on Thursday (May 15), chaired by the Asean Centre of Energy with Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) in Indonesia and Sabah Electricity to discuss this and related matters, he said.
Daily Express
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Largest battery energy storage system provides solar expansion
Published on: Monday, April 28, 2025 Published on: Mon, Apr 28, 2025 Text Size: Terrence and Md Yaakob. SABAH Electricity Chief Executive Officer Mohd Yaakob Jaafar said they hope to commission our largest battery energy storage system with 400 megawatt hours in two months. 'This storage will provide room for expansion in the solar. So, that is giving flexibility to ECoS to give more room to industry players to bring more solar into the system,' he said. 'Sarawak is only 50 megawatt and 60 megawatt hours, while ours will be 400 megawatt hours,' he said pointing out that Sabah's battery system will be much bigger than neighbouring Sarawak. Mohd Yaakob noted that Sabah's energy landscape has changed tremendously over the years. 'When we started in 1984, there was zero gas power plant. We mainly relied on oil for power generation. Until now we still use about 10 per cent of oil in Sabah. 'Back then, about 32 per cent of Sabah's energy came from renewable sources, mainly the Tenom Pangi hydroelectric station which is still operating today. 'The shift to cleaner energy began in 1998 when they built a natural gas power plant in Sepanggar. 'Even today, we still rely heavily on the gas. We are not saying that gas is renewable, but it is cleaner and most important for now for Sabahans is that it is affordable to our customers,' Yaakob said. Currently, about 90 per cent of Sabah is connected to the power grid. Every day, about 250 megawatts of electricity is transferred across the State, mostly from gas power plants, which Yaakob noted are very cost-effective. While solar is leading Sabah's renewable energy push, they are also developing other clean energy sources, particularly hydropower. Two major projects are in development, the Upper Padas project (187 megawatts) and the Oriole Hydro Padas project in Sipitang (162 megawatts). 'We recently signed a power purchase agreement with Jentayu Sustainables Bhd subsidiary Oriole Hydro Padas Sdn Bhd for its 162MW run-of-river hydropower development,' Yaakob said. 'We are targeting to complete the project by end of 2028,' he said, adding that Sabah Electricity is one of the shareholders also in the consortium for the 162-megawatt runoff river as a plan. 'We are focusing on building and strengthening the grid with the Southern Link Phase 1 to support the Oriole Hydro at 162 megawatts plus the Upper Padas at 187 megawatts. 'We are currently building another highway, 275 KB from Beaufort to Papar, and going towards Kota Kinabalu,' he said. He said the government is also looking into wind energy potential in Kudat. 'Next month, we are going to China looking into that technology. Hopefully, if feasible, then we can have our first wind turbine,' he added. He said geothermal energy is also being considered, though its development depends on how expensive drilling would be. 'We are an off-taker. Frankly speaking, we are not able to pay for any developer without any government assistance. Even to the smallest rooftop. If there is no FIT scheme, we cannot do it,' he said. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
