Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg (Photo by Zahid Izzani/The Edge)

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 30): Singapore is to channel investments such as data centre projects into Sarawak under a proposal by the state to sell excess energy to the republic, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference here, Abang Johari maintained the timeline of 2032 for the completion of a proposed undersea power cable, so that Sarawak can export renewable energy of up to 1GW (gigawatt).

“Singapore’s problem is that it has no energy and no land. Sarawak has both,” he said. “So we can work together… Singapore can help us to bring in investments that need power [into Sarawak].”

“We (Sarawak) will just supply the power. That undersea cable, the Singaporeans will do it… It will be completed only in 2032,” he added.

Earlier, during his special address at the Affin Malaysia 2024 Market Outlook here, Abang Jo said: “If you (Singapore) have any investments that need green energy, you send [them] to Sarawak.

“That is my agreement with Singapore,” he said, adding that both prime ministers of Singapore and Malaysia have agreed on the concept of the arrangement.

According to Sarawak’s Public Communications Unit data, the undersea cable will be direct from nearby Kuching, Sarawak, to Changi, Singapore, and will span 720km.

Interestingly, 80% of the cable will pass through the Muri–Midai corridor belonging to Indonesia, Sarawak Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi was quoted as saying in the Sarawak state assembly last November.

It was reported last year that Sarawak has an energy generation capacity of 5.75GW, versus demand of 4.27GW. The supply capacity is targeted to rise to 9.5GW by 2032.

Big on run-of-river hydro

In his special address, Abang Jo also highlighted the shift in Sarawak’s focus on hydropower generation from the existing model of large-scale dams, and to focus on run-of-river designs instead.

Sarawak is home to the Bakun Dam, among Asia’s largest reservoir dams with 700 sq km of reservoir and hydropower generation capacity of 2.4GW.

"Sarawak has the potential for 20GW of hydropower generation capacity. The approach is to change, because the last time, we built reservoirs... but Sarawak is blessed with many rivers.

“This allows Sarawak to develop cascading dams, with running water [along rivers] without jeopardising the environment,” Abang Jo said.

Aside from that, Sarawak, like other states in Malaysia, is looking into solar generation installations, Abang Jo said, and together with Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), is also contemplating hydrogen as a source of energy.

To-date, the collaboration with Petronas has reduced power consumption to produce 1kg of hydrogen by 30% to 40kWh (kilowatt hour), from 60kWh previously, he added.