To a greener future: Workers seen at the floating solar farm at the Batang Ai reservoir. The project is scheduled to be completed in October. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Sarawak plans to develop additional floating solar projects at the Bakun and Murum hydroelectric plant (HEP) reservoirs following the completion of the first such project at Batang Ai this October, says Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
He said the floating solar farm at the Batang Ai HEP reservoir would have a capacity of 50MW, while the Bakun and Murum sites were estimated to have a potential capacity of 500MW and 600MW respectively.
“We have signed a memorandum of understanding with (renewable energy company) Masdar from the United Arab Emirates, who are interested in developing solar energy,” he told reporters after visiting the Batang Ai floating solar farm, about 290km from here, yesterday.
Abang Johari also said the Batang Ai project could be expanded in future, as the 86ha farm took up only 2% of the reservoir’s total surface area of 8,500ha.
“From my calculations, if we use 60% of 8,500ha, the potential solar energy we can produce is about 2,000MW.
“I have shared this with Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) so that we can plan an increase in Batang Ai’s solar power generation capacity and I believe they will research this proposal,” he said.
Meanwhile, SEB group chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili said the Batang Ai project would be Malaysia’s largest floating solar plant and the first major generation hybrid between hydro and solar.
“Through a joint venture with China Power International Holdings and Trina Solar, the floating solar project has achieved 35% progress and is expected to be commissioned by the end of October this year.
“Once fully commissioned, the facility is expected to offset around 52 kilo-tonnes of emissions per year, contributing to further decarbonisation of Sarawak’s power system,” he said.
Sharbini also said SEB was conducting studies on the feasibility of a phase two floating solar facility at Batang Ai with a capacity of up to 160MW.
In addition, he said SEB was evaluating proposals from potential independent power producers who want to develop solar.
