S’wak utility minister leads delegation to study electricity supplier Verbund’s operations in Austria

Julaihi (4th left), Sharbini (5th left) and others photographed during their work visit in Vienna. Photo credit: Ukas

By DayakDaily Team

VIENNA, July 12: Sarawak Minister of Utility and Telecommunication (MUT) Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi has recently led a delegation to study the operation of the main electricity or green energy supplier in Europe—Verbund Energy4Business GmbH, which produces energy from a power plant on the Danube River, Austria.

According to a report by Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), Julaihi noted that Verbund has an installed capacity of 6,600 megawatts (MW) with an average annual generation of 24.8 kilowatt hours (kWh).

“It is estimated that 90 per cent of the energy produced by Verbund is from hydropower, and as much as 51 per cent of Verbund’s shareholding belongs to the Austrian government,” he reportedly said.

On the first day of the delegation’s work visit, they were given a special briefing by Dr Klaus and three colleagues who informed them that the power plant in Vienna they visited had been developed since 1947.

Apart from Vienna, Verbund also produces energy and is developing a pumped storage power plant in Kaprun—in a mountainous location 1.5 hours away from Salzburg, Austria.

On the second day of the visit, the delegation visited the Kaprun plant in Salzburg, which takes 3.5 hours to travel from Vienna.

“In Kaprun, we had the opportunity to inspect Plant 3 which is expected to produce 480 MW which is being built at a rate of 75 per cent completion under the surface of the ground 450 meters deep through a special tunnel for a distance of 5.5 kilometers.

“We were given a special briefing by Senior Technical Officer Fabian Kumer, and we then visited Plant 2, which has been completed and has been operating since 2011 and produces 480 MW of energy.

“After Plant 2, we were taken to visit the dam site at the head of the Danube River, which is the source of water for Kaprun pump storage and other plants in Vienna,” Julaihi said.

The delegation also visited the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), which manages and administers the Danube River, which flows through 19 countries.

Also joining the work visit was Sarawak Energy Berhad Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili. — DayakDaily