'Support setting up of gas power plant in Lahad Datu'

KOTA KINABALU: The people of Sabah must support the setting up of a gas power plant in Lahad Datu if they want to have sufficient electricity by 2015, State Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah said yesterday.
 

A 300 MW plant will be constructed in the Lahad Datu Palm Oil Industry Cluster (POIC) area in efforts to boost power supply in the east coast.

Tan said all requirements to build the gas terminal and plant especially with regard to environment impact assessment (EIA) had been met.

"Hence, there is no reason to object to it ... We are very concerned about the environment too...but you have to realise POIC has been there with all the compliances for quite a long time," he told reporters at the Sabah MIC's Deepavali open house.

Tan was commenting on the statement by the Sabah Environmental Protection Association (SEPA) that the plant would be close to the sea and this would harm the environment. 

He added Lahad Datu POIC was clasified as an industrial area taking into account the environmental requirement.
  

"EIA study has been done on the POIC land before it is developed and received approval. Each project implemented in the area also require EIA and there currently there are 23 investments there."
 

"So if the objection is concerning EIA, I can accept and sit down with SEPA to discuss their concern towards the project but to object to the power plant, that I cannot accept," he added.
  

Tan stressed that gas power plants were important as an alternative to the failed coal-fire plant project which was stopped due to objection by several quarters.
     

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) invested RM2 billon in the 300 MW gas plant and liquefied natural gas terminal in Lahad Datu.
  

It is scheduled to start operation in 2015.

Source: NST