KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's ongoing and planned renewable energy programmes show its commitment to achieve 50% renewable energy generating capacity by 2035, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said the Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan 2040 (SE-RAMP 2040) targets increasing renewable energy capacity and providing a stable power supply across the state.
Up to 2030, he said, the state government will focus on increasing renewable energy development in stages through large-scale solar, hydroelectric, wind energy, biomass, and energy storage systems, he told the state assembly here on Monday (July 20).
Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup (BN-Sook) had asked about the state government’s direction towards increasing renewable energy resources by 2030, and the strategic projects being implemented to realise this objective.
Hajiji said the present capacity of renewable energy in Sabah is 307MW, which is about 16% of its overall mixed-capacity generation.
Ongoing projects to increase this include the 450MW Large-Scale Solar (LSS) project, expected to be completed by 2028; the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), due for completion the same year; and a 100MW wind energy project expected to be ready by 2029, he added.
Others he cited are the 187MW Upper Padas Hydroelectric Project and the 162MW Oriole Padas Hydroelectric Project, set for completion by 2030.
Hajiji said the state expects to increase the capacity of new renewable energy generation to around 1,200MW, or 37% of its mixed-capacity generation, by 2030.
"We are confident of achieving the 50% target by 2035 through these structured initiatives," he added.
To another question by Arthur on specific plans to harness ocean thermal energy (Otec), Hajiji said steps have been taken to venture into this field.
"We have visited countries like Japan that have started harnessing Otec and it is in our plans to develop this as well," he said, adding that the overall aim is to provide a reliable and stable energy supply to all residents and industries in the state.
