The new Sarawak-Sabah power interconnection is hailed as a trigger for the wider Borneo Grid and future ASEAN Power Grid integration.
KOTA KINABALU: The newly operational Sarawak-Sabah Power Grid Interconnection is a crucial trigger for kickstarting the ambitious Borneo Grid and wider ASEAN Power Grid.
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said this bilateral success has started the ball rolling for broader regional energy integration.
He suggested ASEAN could look to the European Union’s power interconnection model for collaboration.
Abang Johari explained the link forms the core of the envisioned Borneo Grid alongside existing ties to West Kalimantan and a future supply deal with Brunei.
“With Sabah-Sarawak to Southern Philippines, and we now have agreed to supply power to Singapore, meaning you have the ASEAN grid there,” he said.
Sarawak is expanding its generation capacity aggressively towards a 10-gigawatt target by 2030 to support this vision.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the project is pivotal for the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
He noted Sabah plays a strategic role as Malaysia’s primary gateway to the BIMP-EAGA region.
The grid paves the way for future power links with Kalimantan, Brunei, and the Southern Philippines.
Domestically, Sabah is focusing on a diverse energy mix including gas, hydropower, solar, and wind under its energy roadmap.
