KOTA KINABALU: Utility company Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) is taking a cautious approach to managing power supply in view of the hot weather.
SESB general manager (operations system) Adrian Leo Mosigil said that with the high temperatures recorded of late, there will be more power usage expected.
“We expect electricity usage to increase and this can affect the stability of our grid system,” he said yesterday, adding that at present, the highest power demand during peak hours reached 1,090.73 megawatt (MW).
“The average power supply is at 1,300MW, so with this demand, we have a very small power reserve margin,” he added.
Mosigil said one of the independent power producers (IPPs) in Kimanis, Papar, had to be shut down due to maintenance works on a gas turbine.
“With around a 12% reserve margin at hand for Sabah and Labuan, we are more cautious about our power supply management efforts,” he said.
On Feb 23, the Meteorological Department issued an advisory stating that 15 places in Malaysia, including Tangkak in Johor and Beaufort in Sabah, are under Level 1 heatwave alert. Under the Level 1 heatwave alert, daily maximum temperatures could rise to between 35ºC and 37ºC for three days continuously.
