KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government’s energy transition initiatives will help Sabah address challenges related to om going energy supply security and pressure from the current global energy crisis, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
“The energy transition initiatives by the Sabah government, led by the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) and implemented over the past few years, are timely and well-suited to help Sabah face challenges arising from the conflict in the Middle East,” the Chief Minister said after chairing the first Sabah Energy Council meeting for 2026 at Menara Kinabalu on Friday (April 17).
Hajiji said that the state government was committed to strengthening Sabah’s energy security through a balanced and resilient energy development strategy.
“This includes leveraging the state’s natural gas resources, developing hydropower, adopting Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) technology, as well as exploring Pumped Storage Hydro projects as large-scale energy storage to enhance the flexibility and stability of Sabah’s grid system.
“Under the energy transition initiative, Sabah is now moving towards increasing the use of renewable energy (RE) and natural gas as alternatives to diesel and Marine Fuel Oil (MFO),” he said.
Hajiji said the development of the energy sector is also a key foundation in attracting investments and driving industrial development in Sabah.
“A stable, sustainable and competitive energy supply will continue to support the growth of strategic industrial areas, thereby creating more investment and employment opportunities for the people of Sabah,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that throughout 2025, Sabah recorded several key achievements in strengthening the state’s electricity supply system.
Among them were the completion of the 100 megawatt/400 megawatt-hour BESS project in August 2025, the largest battery energy storage system in Southeast Asia, and the commissioning of the Sabah–Sarawak grid interconnection in December 2025, enabling the import of 50MW of electricity.
At the same time, the reliability performance of electricity supply also improved, with the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) reduced from 416 minutes in 2024 to 338 minutes in 2025, he said.
“This encouraging SAIDI achievement is the result of continuous efforts by all parties, including regulators, utilities, system operators and other stakeholders, in improving the operation and planning of Sabah’s electricity supply system,” he said.
He added that the collapse of the 275kV Kolopis–Segaliud transmission tower due to a natural disaster in September last year highlighted the importance of strengthening grid resilience through sustainable generation development on the East Coast, as well as the implementation of the Southern Link grid to enhance the reliability of Sabah’s grid system.
During the meeting, the MTS, among others, approved intervention measures under the Sabah Rural Electrification Committee (JELaS) initiative to accelerate the achievement of 100% rural electricity coverage, in line with the aspirations of the Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan 2040 (SE-RAMP 2040).
“These decisions are in line with the State Government’s strategy to strengthen the resilience of the energy system through a balanced energy mix comprising renewable energy, natural gas and energy storage technologies.
“In addition, they will also strengthen grid infrastructure, including the development of the Southern Link, to enhance system reliability, particularly on Sabah’s East Coast,” he said.
