KOTA KINABALU: The Tenom hydroelectric power plant is expected to fully resume operations in March, some 16 months after it was shut down due to landslides.
The plant belonging to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB), which was shut down on Nov 1, 2022, will be up and running once the Unit 3 turbine with a 22MW capacity is fully restored.
Work to fix the Unit 3 components has been completed at Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s Remaco Repair Centre, and will be installed soon at the Tenom power plant.
SESB senior manager (asset management) Idris Mohd Noor said efforts to clean up the hydro tunnel are ongoing.
“Once the work is completed, the water from the Padas River will be able to be channelled through the tunnel and rotate the Unit 3 turbine,” he said yesterday.
For safety reasons, the plant had to be temporarily shut down due to landslides along the road heading towards the station.
The landslides were reported early Nov 1, with water flows and large rocks falling onto the Tenom Pangi Hydro Power Plant Station intake gate.
Meanwhile, Idris said in order to increase the reserve supply margin in the power grid, SESB will apply for approval from the Energy Commission to rent several generators, which will be installed at selected locations.
Among others, he said, a 10MW generator will be installed at the Tawau station while various generator sets, including those that can generate 30MW, will be installed at the Labuk station in Sandakan.
