Sarawak plans gradual shift from coal power to biomass

 

The Sejingkat power station, Sarawak’s first coal-fired plant, is capable of producing 210 megawatts of electricity. (Sejingkat pic)

PETALING JAYA: Sarawak will gradually phase out its coal-fired power plants in Sejingkat and Balingian in a transition to biomass, deputy premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said.

Awang Tengah said the move to shut down the plants in stages was “because, at this moment, the demand for coal has increased so we have to plan things properly”, the Borneo Post reported.

Awang Tengah added that he and Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg had recently visited a coal-fired plant in the UK that has successfully transitioned to using biomass energy.

A biomass power station in the UK where the use of wood pellets has reportedly reduced carbon emissions by 40% compared to coal. (Drax pic)

The biomass plant in Leeds, he said, uses wood pellets to generate energy and the capacity was around 3,600 megawatts. “This shows that biomass, as one of the green energy resources, is quite practical.”

He urged the timber sector to embark into the industry “because it is one of the things which we can use through the concept of turning waste into energy”.

Awang Tengah, who is also the second natural resources and urban development minister, said Sarawak had great potential in biomass production as it has an abundance of natural resources.

The Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation subsidiary company produces wood pellets as do some private firms. - FMT