Sabah Southern MADANI Link Project Strengthens Electricity Supply Stability, Security
KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- The Sabah Southern MADANI Link (SSML) project by the Sabah state government is a strategic investment that strengthens the stability and security of the state’s electricity supply, according to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA).
The ministry said the project also supports the integration of new electricity supply generation, improves the cost efficiency of the electrical system, and strengthens Sabah’s position in the regional energy integration agenda.
The ministry said the strategic SSML project was implemented to reinforce Sabah’s 275-kilovolt electricity transmission system and plays an important role in ensuring power from existing and new generation sources can be delivered, particularly to the state’s east coast.
PETRA said that most of the more cost-competitive generation sources are currently concentrated on Sabah’s west coast, while electricity demand on its east coast continues to rise.
“Reliance on the existing single 275-kilovolt Kolopis–Segaliud transmission line makes the SSML project important as an alternative route through southern Sabah, thereby enhancing the grid’s resilience and reliability in the event of disruptions to the existing transmission system,” it posted on the Parliament’s website.
PETRA was responding to Senator Datuk Edward Linggu Bukut regarding the SSML project and Sabah’s electricity supply reserve margin for the next five years.
In a broader context, the ministry said that the SSML project, together with the Sabah-Sarawak interconnection project, will form a stronger, more integrated and resilient grid system.
“This infrastructure also provides the foundation for Sabah’s future participation in the ASEAN Power Grid (APG), which opens up opportunities for cross-border energy trading, namely importing power when it’s more economical or exporting power when Sabah’s grid has a surplus,” it said.
Meanwhile, PETRA said the Sabah state government is implementing and will continue to implement various projects to ensure an adequate electricity supply, with a target to maintain a generation reserve margin of around 25–30 per cent over the next five years.
“This includes adding gas generation capacity on the east and west coasts, developing large-scale hydroelectric and solar projects, increasing battery energy storage systems (BESS), and reinforcing the main transmission network.
“The implementation of these projects is expected to ensure sufficient generation capacity for Sabah’s needs over the next five to ten years,” it added.
-- BERNAMA