Very Merry Christmas from Kadayan Journal
Coal Plant Again?
By Hj Ramlee Dua, Kadayan Journal
This subject has been given wide media coverage for many years. Insufficient power supply is a bane on our lives, not to mention on the effects it has on our economic development. The other basic need, water, or making a profit from selling it, is another problem the state government seems unable to solve.
Much opposition on the use of coal to generate electricity has highlighted the problem of insufficient power supply even more. First, the people of Lahad Datu objected to having a coal-powered in Silam, citing pollution could impact the Danum Valley, amongst others. Then there was a plan to shift the project to Sandakan, which also met with vehement opposition.
The last throw of the dice seems to point to the building of the plant in the Dent Peninsula, far away from people except for several thousand Indonesian workers working in the FELDA oil palm plantations. The smoke from burning coal, the proponents’ feel, will not directly impact the health of Sabahans because it is so far away from them.
I cannot claim to be an expert in the pros and cons of having a coal-powered power station but I am concerned about the long-term effects of having something that discharges huge amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere. What the coal emissions will do to the thousands of acres of oil palm trees (and probable loss to FELDA), only time will tell but what burning fossil fuels does to the planet is well-documented. There would be no need to have an important summit in Copenhagen otherwise.
What I am currently concerned about the implementations of mega projects in this country does not point to the benefits to the populace and nation as a whole, but rather at the politics of the implementation processes. Every time a huge project is planned, certain vested interests somehow play a huge part, for the huge profits to be amassed by certain individuals figure prominently in all equations.
To narrow my point, if this power plant does get the go-ahead, who will get the huge contract, who will corner the contract to supply the coal, who gets to transport the raw materials and who in the corridors of power get to lay their hands on these lucrative deals? To my mind, these considerations play vital roles in seeing whether so-called beneficial projects get done or otherwise. Prove me wrong.
Over the past 3 decades, much has been said about the huge Bakun hydroelectric dam. Until today, the dam is not even commissioned. One can write a very thick book about the politics, and shenanigans about this project. How much public fund, how much timber has been cut and sold, will never be known to Malaysians. Every so often, some important announcement is made that seem to point to more expenditure. Now the talk of sending electricity via hugely expensive submarine cables to the peninsula is back again.
This brings me to an important question which no state or national leader has so far addressed. Why spend billions of ringgits piping gas to Bintulu from Sabah? Further, why plan a medium size power plant in Kimanis and then spend billions on pipes and related works so that the industries in Bintulu get to utilise our gas?
More importantly, the Bakun hydro project is meant to benefit the entire nation and not just the peninsula and Sarawak. Sarawak is in fact, planning to build more dams to generate power. Why is Sabah left out of this equation? Why can’t some power to be generated from Bakun be spared for use in Sabah?
If the cost of connecting power lines from Bakun to the Beaufort grid is prohibitively expensive, then why is the cost of piping gas from Kimanis to Bintulu not so? Anyone can tell that this does not make sense.
The Petronas gas pipeline from Kimanis to Bintulu covers a distance of over 400 kilometers. The governments of Sabah and Sarawak acquired the land on which the pipeline travels. Compensations to landowners have been paid. The width of the pipeline reserve is 100 feet all the way. Considering Petronas is a Government-owned company, there should be no reason why the same pipeline reserve cannot be used as way leave in the construction of transmission towers from Bakun to Beaufort by TNB, thereby saving huge land compensation and other costs.
There, east-west power grid in Sabah has been completed, I am told. This means electricity can be transmitted almost statewide from wherever there are generating stations, assuming there is a power surplus. Obviously there is no surplus, hence the frequent blackouts. If power from Bakun can be transmitted to the Beaufort grid, it can be further transmitted elsewhere. Being a non-engineer, can someone explain why this cannot be done?
If the coal power station at the Dent Peninsula takes off, when will it be commissioned? When will Bakun be commissioned? This mega project is supposed to generate in excess of 4,000 megawatts of electricity. The east coast requires only 300 megawatts. Why can’t Sabah be spared 300 megawatts?
Sarawak takes our gas but will not spare us some electricity. Just where is the quid pro quo?
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To add to what was written above on the issue of coal plant. I’ve been informed Sabah Forest Industry in Sipitang (SFI) Indian owned paper pulps industry has been using 40MW coal plant since 2007. Sabah Environment Protection Association (SEPA) questioned the wisdom of Sabah Federal Department of Environment for approving Environment Impact Assessment studies, which to many done arbitrarily.Why concerned citizens, and NGOs, like SEPA wasn’t even invited in their deliberations-wonder if this means that rakyat are not diutamakan.
Below was the opinion of the Sindumin Wakil Rakayat on the issue, which I supposed fell into deep ears-partly being less known wakil rakyat in comparison with the infamous Bung Moktar who now has an add on celebrity wife.
Daily Express 24th April 2009
KOTA KINABALU: Sipitang Assemblyman Haji Ahmad Bujang Strongly objected to the commissioning of a coal-fired power plant in the district, as it can be hazardous to human health and the environment.
He said the emission of the smoke from the plant would create environment impact not only in Sipitang but also in its surrounding areas.
According to him, the impact would be disastrous as the plant could produce millions of tones of CO2 emission and pose negative effect on the fertility of agriculture in the district…
Back to the efficiency of electricity in the state, which I’m sure many would agree the situation is ever diabolical, so too water.
Tenaga Nasional now owned 80 percent of the equity of SESB but has there been any different in its efficiency compare with when SESB was on its own? The obvious answer is, the number of breaking downs perhaps more now than ever.
Let just highlight what we see every now and then, every road or newly constructed road urban or rural are together with electricity infrastructure; meaning electricity poles would be erected all along the road. We make out, it means the roads are to be lighted at night, but how often do we see if lights are ever switched on at night, a part from not functioning? About 80 of our roads have no light at night, yes, there are electricity poles and yes, there are light bulbs and sure maintenance comes with it too.
I would think if the idea isn’t to lighten the roads at night why on earth spending money on erecting the electricity poles, and the rest.
On water, one will see pipes all over in rural towns either fixed or still laying by the roadside. In the former, still very many pipes never have a drop of water in it, taking Sipitang in kampong Bangsal an interesting example.
Don’t we think that this isn’t a waste?
Amde Sidik
12 Comments
1 C++ wrote:
I agree with you sir. The electric from Bakun Dam should be extended to Sabah as well.
2 MusangXjanggut wrote:
I don’t really see the real fight for betterment of future generation; perhaps because of the lack of understanding what the future is going to be or simply because of couldn’t care or less attitude. Mindset hasn’t changed much, pak turut mentality still deeply engrained
Whilst those in power seldom do as serious as before they were in power-political leaders, so to speak. Always-always bigger agenda behind, otherwise thing like approval of Environmental Assessment Impact couldn’t be just done by a stroke of a pen without going to the ground. Was even romoured politicians were busy surveying or even acquiring kampong folks’ lands before the announcement of the decision to lay down gas pipes from Kimanis to Bintulu. What does it mean if not self-economic interest, how
un thoughtful these leaders are.3 sydput wrote:
In Bintulu, there are three LNG storage stations/tanks, each one costing hundreds of millions, if not billions to build at today’s prices. Plus they have export facilites all built up and ready use. To build another one at Kimanis will be duplicating these assets.
Building a pipeline from Kimanis to Bintulu, may include a road linkage bypassing Brunei. Therefore savings in cost of construction, provided no huge markups.
Coal is the cheapest from of energy presently. Even cheaper than biomass. and the cost of building a coal fired power plant is still cheaper than building hundreds of wind turbines.
If a huge biomass plant is built instead of coal fired ones, it may cost more, but the cost biomass purchase will be trickled back to sabah plantation owners and felda settlers, which means richer palm oil planters, but poorer consumers, who may have to pay more for electricity.
Electricity generated from Bakun, may be transmitted by submarine cable, instead of building huge numbers of electricity pylons, to beaufort, sabah. The cost of doing so will be more than building a gas /coal powered for similar amount of power required.
We have to ask why the federal govenrment is so keen to push the coal fired plant in lahad Datu. Rumour has it that Che Khalid, present CEO of TNB has a stake in this and is sort of a golden handshake for him to forgo the double pay hike he is seeking.
BTW, there are some turbine cum solar power generating entities trying to make foray into Malaysian energy markets, but are not welcomed by TNB and silence from sabah politicians. In TNB’s case, they have had enough of IPP’s.
On th electricity theft, go to any household in KL, mostly owned by a chinaman, and they will boast how they pay RM400 to a technicina to short the electric metre. Previous bill may be RM700/ month. after metre modification- RM100 plus.
some even keep their aircon day and night and even when they are out, so that they will be cool the moment indoors.
The Philipino sabah I met who works in pulau perhentian-terengganu ( a christian) boast about the many women divers he bonks mostly from the peninsular and gets to stay with them for free when on holiday in KL
4 Davy McChester wrote:
Sabah for Sabahans who lived there on or before 1963. The population increase is not from this stock.,but from Southern Philippines brought in to dilute the local population and disrupt their lives and destroy their identity and destiny. The clandestine hand of zealous religious warlords from across the South China Sea. And all acted upon when the the “brilliant” mind which thought 70 million would have better essential utilities than 2 million.The goon doctor Mahathir brought doom to the people of Sabah. Now we have an energy problem in Sabah to cater for the large illegal population . UMNOputras destroyed the timber industry through their wheeling & dealing
5 peace wrote:
After 46 years Sabah got it independent from British but till today Sabah still facing a BIG PROBLEM with BASIC UTILITY supply like water and electricity and need not to to mention about development. SHAME on you Malay-SiaL running by a bunch of monkey and evil.
Stealing water and electricity by the Illegal muslim Immigrants are one of the main culprits to cause Sabah Basic Utility un-stability.
6 Kaki Letrik wrote:
SydPut is obviously not aware that at the moment, the pipeline project is on going. Endless truckloads of huge gas pipes are being trucked down from KK port to Kimanis, Beaufort, Sipitang and Lawas daily.
Apparently each truck is hired at RM20K per month. This pipeline project makes huge money for some people.
The big money will be to the politician who will corner the contract to maintain the pipeline.
Hj Ramlee is saying why not use the pipeline reserve, which is 100 feet wide from Bakun to Beaufort for the erection of transmission towers?
If Petronas has to build a road along the pipeline, wouldn’t it be logical to use the same facility for the transmission towers?
The idea of using submarine cables from Bakun to Beaufort is totally illogical and will definately be cost- prohibitive. Furthermore, Brunei will oppose it because it will have to pass through their sea boundary.
7 wayangbahtu wrote:
Its the politicians who gain more though they said its rakyat to benefit. Without they get anything would they take trouble just as said but MusangXjanggut above? The rest is wayang, they never really do the studies; wonder how many can read balance sheet? All they do is saying yes,YB
8 rangsipitang wrote:
May be I agree with you wayangbahtu. Very good example is our Sipitang MP, was ADUN for so many terms-I’ve not really seen that he did something for Sipitang people. He likes publicity yes, a part from that its hard to understand why keeping this guy in power.
9 Tambuakar wrote:
Yah I agree with Rangsipitang! Sipitang should have been 10 times better than it is today if the ADUN realy thinks the rakyat didahulukan. If not because of SFI, nobody knows about Sipitang. His performance index is very low!
10 Pangait wrote:
The real issue to use coal or not is to keep resource rich Sabah forever indebted to KL. Why the hell would petronas pipe the gas all the way to Bintulu? Because there is already a list of licensed dealers consisting of people close to KL to deal the gas(you and me don’t simply get license for nothing). This is where people at the top make the money from our resources. The state will only get royalties which will be paid by way of development fund, running the armies, hospitals, edecation etc etc.
Why coal?
KL will say, they fund the coal and the State will have to pay for it. So this again will be deducted from the royalty.
Same thing, there are already coal dealers appointed by KL. You’d be lucky if you can be appointed as one of them.
So put the piping of gas to bintulu and the setting up coal fired power station will both make the State poorer.
11 rulet system wrote:
Great idea, but will this work over the long run?
12 Jim Lee wrote:
Very interesting writing. Honest.