Sarawak Premier says dam safety is crucial for renewable power and water resilience, supporting regional energy security and ASEAN Power Grid vision.
KUCHING: Sarawak is prioritising dam safety as a key driver of its green energy and water transformation agenda under the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030.
Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg stated that dam safety management is no longer just an engineering requirement but a strategic imperative for sustainable development.
“The future of dam safety is not built on concrete and steel alone, but on cooperation, trust and shared responsibility among nations and people,” he said when officiating the Third International Conference on Dam Safety Management and Engineering.
His speech text was delivered by state Deputy Minister for Utilities and Telecommunication Datuk Ibrahim Baki.
Abang Johari emphasised that Sarawak’s safe and well-managed dams are central to the state’s shift toward renewable power and water resilience.
He highlighted the Batang Ai Hydroelectric Plant’s integration with the Batang Ai Floating Solar Farm as demonstrating hybrid hydro-solar systems’ benefits.
This approach diversifies green power generation without requiring new land, optimises land use and reduces water evaporation from reservoirs.
Such initiatives also support regional energy security and align with the ASEAN Power Grid vision.
“Crucially, this safe, clean and reliable power is not just for Sarawak… it is our contribution to regional energy security, advancing the vision of the ASEAN Power Grid,” he added.
Sarawak’s growing role in regional energy trade was further strengthened by the Sarawak-Singapore Interconnection Project.
The project recently received conditional approval from Singapore’s Energy Market Authority to export up to 1,000 megawatts of green energy via a new subsea cable.
At the national level, Abang Johari noted the establishment of the National Dam Centre under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation.
“The recent approval for the establishment of the National Dam Centre is a major milestone to serve as a hub for coordinated dam safety management, data integration and capacity building,” he said.
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