The four dams are projected to generate at least two gigawatts of electricity.
KUCHING: The Sarawak government has decided to reduce its reliance on coal for electricity generation and gradually phase out coal-fired power stations.
Instead, the state will begin constructing cascading dams to generate electricity, with four expected to be completed by 2030.
The four dams are projected to generate at least two gigawatts of electricity.
Sarawak Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni told the State Legislative Assembly today that coal-powered plants had played an important role in stabilising the state’s power supply over the past decades.
“The use of coal-fired plants helped stabilise our power grid in the past and sustain electricity generation in Sarawak.
“However, we will rely more on cascading dams and hydrogen production for future power generation in line with our green energy objectives.
“The Balingian coal-fired power plant, commissioned in 2019, is the last such coal plant.
“Gradually, we will retire all coal-fired plants and rely on green energy,” he said during the question-and-answer session.
Hazland said Sarawak is also building two power plants in the Bintulu and Miri districts that will combine liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen to generate electricity.
Each of the two plants will be capable of producing 1.5 gigawatts of electricity, he said.
He added that with the new cascading dams and hydrogen plants, together with existing hydroelectric mega dams in Bakun, Baleh, Murum and Batang Ai, Sarawak is expected to generate more than 10 gigawatts of electricity by 2030 for domestic use and export to neighbouring countries.
