UNIMAS to develop discovery for rural electricity supply
KUCHING: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) under the Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy has been entrusted by the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water to conduct a research project in remote rural areas that are off-the-electricity-grid supply by SESCO, in which UNIMAS was given an allocation to develop a new discovery that could get these rural areas connected with electricity.
In response to that call, the Green Island Energy research project by UNIMAS has been approved by the Committee of the Trustee Account Industrial Electricity Supply Bill.
1/2011 on 31 March, 2011 with an allocation of RM605,000.
This project officially started on 24 June, 2011 to go until 23 June , 2012 for a period of one year.Of the total approved allocation, 75 per cent or (RM453,750) was paid out when the project started.The research project was led by Assoc.
Prof Dr Azhaili Baharun, Director Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy (CoERE) and assisted by 12 researchers.
During a press conference after officiating at the presentation of fund for the Program Mentor: 1IPTA 1 Menteri at UNIMAS, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui explained that UNIMAS would go to the specific rural areas and investigate what resources and alternative they could come up with to assist the rural people in getting electricity supply.
“The UNIMAS team discovered that the alternative is the river flow where we could develop a mini hydro,” Chin said adding that presently many rural areas not connected with electricity were using generator set to light up their homes and this was very costly for them.
He said the research objective was to fix a suitable location to build a “micro-hydro” plant for electricity generation less than 500kW for the villages located far from the SESCO grid lines.
The Micro Hydro Plant is an optional generation from New Energy.According to UNIMAS research, it is the ideal choice for the rural areas as Sarawak is a river resource-rich.In addition, microhydro technology has been proven to generate consistent electricity and its life-cycle cost is lower than the cost of wind, solar and generator sets.
Some ten sites have been identified to be evaluated namely Rh Empaling, Rumah Jelang, Ulu Sepak in Betong; Rumah Augustine, Kampung Langgir, Lingga in Sri Aman; Rumah Japar, Ulu Entabai in Sarikei; Rumah Sabang, Rumah Ambai, Rumah Nira, Tatau in Bintulu; Punang Trusan/Long Telingan in Limbang; Long Lamai in Baram; Lio Mato in Baram; Lio Tuya, Long Tanid and Budak Nur in Lawas.
The main criterion for this project to be successful is to have a strategic site with water sources; technical feasibility, potential river; accessibility; population and demographic ‘economic and social activities; environmental impact and potential for economic growth.
ST Thursday, 08 December 2011 Written by
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