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TAWAU: The phase one of Tawau Green Energy Geothermal Power Plant
involving generating capacity of 36MW is expected to be completed in
2015.
The power plant at Apas Kiri, which is the first renewable
and sustainable project of its kind in Malaysia, will supply 30MW to the
Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) grid.
Sustainable Energy
Development Authority of Malaysia (SEDA Malaysia) chairman Tan Sri Dr
Fong Chan Onn, who visited the project site yesterday, said the plant
will be Malaysia’s first grid-connected geothermal power plant.
Fong said the renewable power plant is a unique prospect in the district and it is also acceptable to everyone in the community.
The
project undertaken by Tawau Green Energy Sdn Bhd (TGE) will reduce the
utilization of fossil fuel for power generation in the state grid in
line with Malaysia’s sustainable development policy and global
greenhouse gas emission reduction.
According to Fong, the process
of producing electricity with a geothermal power plant is similar to
other thermal power plants that use coal, oil or gas except that it does
not require burning any fuel.
Instead, geothermal plant utilizes
energy from the natural steam and hot water drawn from the geothermal
reservoir, he explained.
The geothermal power plant is a form of
green energy which does not require any fuel burning or combustion to
produce heat or electricity, he said.
It emits little carbon dioxide, no nitrogen dioxide and very low amounts of sulfur dioxide, he added.
The
project is estimated to cost RM419 million and it has also qualified to
receive a grant of RM35million from the Private-Public Partnership Unit
of the Prime Minister’s Department for the access road and water
treatment plant.
