Sarawak Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi
KUCHING: Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) will commence the export of 30MW of electricity to Sabah this month.
The Sarawak-Sabah power connectivity will be facilitated by a 34km, 275 kilovolt (kV) transmission line in northern Sarawak, said Sarawak Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi.
He said the transmission line project from Bunut (Miri Division) to Lawas (Limbang Division) had been energised since the third week of November, and the extension to Sabah will be operating in mid-December.
Julaihi said with the power sales to Sabah by Sarawak is advancing the goal of the Borneo Power Grid. State-owned SEB has been exporting electricity to west Kalimantan, Indonesia, since 2016 and is currently selling about 100MW to the neighbour.
Plans are also in store to export electricity to Brunei Darussalam using the same 275kV transmission line. When that happens, the Borneo Power Grid will fully materalise.
Sabah, which faced frequent power outages, has asked SEB to double the supply to 100MW from 50MW from an initial agreement signed between the utility body of both states.
That is likely to be achieved after the 500MW combined cycle gas turbine plant in Miri is operational by 2027, according to Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
On the Asean Power Grid project, Julaihi said planned renewable energy export to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia are now in the engagement stage with the respective government agencies.
On Oct 17, 2025, the Singapore Energy Market Authority granted conditional approval for Sarawak to export one GW of power to the island republic, clearing the preliminary technical and financial feasibility phase.
“This approval paves the way for the next stage of development,” he added.
Submarine cables will be laid to facilitate the export of electricity to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia from Sarawak.
Currently, SEB has an available electricity capacity of 5,745MW, and there are plans to increase this to 10GW by 2030, focusing on renewable energy sources, including large-scale solar farm projects on hydro dams.
Julaihi said consumers in the Lawas district would be able to enjoy a more stable power supply following the connection of the district’s electricity supply system to the Sarawak main grid last week.
Before that, the district had to rely on diesel generator power stations for electricity supply.
“The 500kV transmission line from Bunut to Similajau (Bintulu) was completed in August, thereby completing the 500kV grid system from the northern region to the central region (Mapai Sibu) and subsequently to the southern region (Tondong Bau).
“The entire 500kV grid system project costs about RM3.4bil.
“At present, this transmission line operates at 275kV and will be upgraded to 500kV once the Baleh hydroelectic power station begins operations in the fourth quarter of 2029,” he told the state assembly last week.
The 1,285MW Baleh dam is the second biggest dam in Sarawak after the 2,400MW Bakun dam.
The 944MW Murum dam is the third largest owned by SEB. All the dams are located in the interiors of Kapit Division in central Sarawak.
On the project that will connect the Limbang power supply system to the Sarawak main grid, Julaihi said works is currently 90% completed, and full completion is expected by mid-2026.
The RM2.8bil project will consist of five power substations and six transmission lines stretching a total of 579km. Once ready, this would significantly beef up the reliability of power supply in Limbang Division.
Julaihi said SEB is currently implementing the 275kV Kuching Network Reinforcement (KNR) project to strengthen the power transmission system and support the increasing demand from domestic, commercial and industrial consumers in the southern region.
“The KNR Phase One, connecting Entingan in Samarahan to Tanjong Bako, began in December 2023 and is targeted for completion in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Meanwhile, KNR Phase Two, connecting Tanjong Bako, Demak Laut (home for a big industrial park), Santubong and Matang, is currently undergoing a ferasibility study, and is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027, he added.
The KNR Phase Two project is expected to cost RM2.4bil, with construction to get off the grounds in fourth quarter of 2028.
