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KUCHING: Sarawak will export electricity to Sabah by 2024 when the Northern Grid Extension — the generation and transmission project in the northern region — is completed.

Sarawak utility and telecommunications minister Julaihi Narawi said for now, the electricity supply project to Sabah was still in the commercial negotiation stage.

“The electricity supply of 30MW to the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) is targeted for 2024, depending on the completion of the Northern Grid Extension project,” he said during the state 2023 budget winding-up speech at the Sarawak legislative assembly here today.

Julaihi said the total electricity to be exported involved only 2% of its existing capacity available, which is 5,996MW.

“For the record, the current usage of electricity in Sarawak is 4,398MW.

“This means we still have a balance of 1,478MW which is sufficient for domestic use and needs, including connection under the Additional Late Applicant Fund Scheme,” he said.

Julaihi also said new power stations currently under planning and construction are the combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) in Miri, CCGT in Samalaju, as well as the floating solar system at Batang Ai Dam and Baleh Dam, which are expected to be completed between 2023 and 2028.

In line with Sarawak’s aspirations to become Southeast Asia’s energy powerhouse, Sarawak has supplied an average of 89.6MW of electricity to Kalimantan, Indonesia, since September 2016 until September this year.