Sarawak Energy studying cascading power sources to expand state’s renewable energy capacity

KUCHING (Aug 28): Sarawak Energy is spearheading studies and engagements related to the government’s focus on Cascading Power Sources (CPS) as Sarawak works to expand its renewable energy capacity, said Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi.

In this respect, he added, the Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) is under serious consideration as a component in achieving Sarawak’s target of generating 10GW of energy by 2030.

“PHES generates electricity using gravity to release water that has been pumped from a lower reservoir source to an upper reservoir, supplying power to the grid when required,” he said in a press statement after leading a delegation made up of officers from the ministry to visit the Snowy Hydro Tumut 3 facility in New South Wales, Australia on Tuesday.

They are there to understand the feasibility of PHES in Sarawak, in particular, said Julaihi.

The Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme comprises eight hydro power stations, including two that are underground.

The scheme’s eight power stations, equipped with 33 turbines, have a total generating capacity of 4,100 megawatts (MW), producing an average of 4,500 gigawatt (GW) hours of renewable electricity annually.

The Snowy Hydro Tumut 3 Power Station is a key part of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, one of Australia’s major hydroelectric and PHES facilities.

Tumut 3 is the first major pumped-hydro plant in Australia and the largest to date.

It recycles water between the Talbingo Reservoir and Jounama Pondage for generation and pumping.

The Sarawak delegation received briefings on the operational aspects of Tumut 3 and toured Talbingo Dam, the upper reservoir of the power station, which plays a crucial role in electricity generation and water management.

The Sarawak delegation includes the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Syed Mohamad Fauzi Shahab and its director of Electricity Supply James Ung and Sarawak Energy Berhad Group chief operating officer Bunyak Lunyong and its senior vice president for Business Development Nick James Arnett Wright and other officials from the ministry and the utility company.

The study visit was facilitated by Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through its Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) initiative and aims to provide insights into Australia’s energy transition efforts and development technologies, particularly PHES, Julaihi said.

The study mission began on Monday (Aug 26) with an engagement session between the Sarawak delegation and representatives from DFAT, P41, and the Australian National University in Canberra.

These discussions focused on the technical, market and regulatory frameworks essential for PHES projects, which Sarawak is considering as part of its energy strategy, he added.

CPS and PHES studies and engagements include working visits to regions where projects have been successfully implemented, such as in Austria and Australia.

“The Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication and Sarawak Energy are committed to engaging with local communities as part of their feasibility studies on CPS and PHES, ensuring that communities are included in Sarawak’s renewable energy development,” he said.

Snowy Hydro representatives Peter Symons and Dean Lynch were instrumental in providing briefs to the Sarawak delegate members when they visited Talbingo Lake for the technical tour of the Tumut 3 Power Station and pumped hydro facility.