KOTA KINABALU: Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg said they have begun laying the groundwork for the Asean Grid, starting with Borneo as the core hub.
“We have started the ball rolling,” said Abang Johari, who advocated for an Asean-wide multilateral framework modelled after the European Union’s power interconnection system during the recent energy summit in Putrajaya.
“This initiative aims to interconnect the 11 Asean member countries through a multilateral framework similar to the European Union’s power grid system, which includes undersea cable connections extending to Nordic countries,” he said, after the Energisation of the Sarawak-Sabah Power Grid Interconnection Project official ceremony, here.
“Our view is there is no framework of collaboration among the 11 member countries at the moment,” he said. “I did suggest that they can look at the European Union interconnection of power... So you do not have to reinvent but look at that collaboration in Europe as a model for Asean.”
He pointed out that significant progress is already underway with the Sarawak-Sabah interconnection serving as the foundation.
“The Borneo Grid is rapidly taking shape through bilateral agreements, with Sarawak already interconnected with Kalimantan and having agreed to supply power to Brunei,” he said.
Agreements are also in place to supply Singapore and Southern Philippines.
He said Sarawak is developing 500 megawatts in Miri and 1,000 megawatts in Bintulu, bringing the Sarawak’s installed capacity to 10 gigawatts by 2030, creating a substantial power base for regional sharing.
He noted that this Borneo-centred network would complement another Asean power loop running from Laos through Terengganu to Singapore.
However, Abang Johari pointed out that current arrangements remain bilateral rather than multilateral.
“We have to have a multilateral framework among the 11 member countries,” he said, acknowledging the legislative and national considerations that must be addressed across Asean.
The newly energised Sabah-Sarawak power grid interconnection represents an important milestone towards realising the long-awaited Asean Power Grid, with regional energy officials hailing the project as a model for cross-border electricity cooperation across Southeast Asia.
“This project is an important milestone for the bigger picture of connecting all 11 Asean member states,” said Asean Centre for Energy Executive Director Datuk Razib Dawood.
“Even though this is between two states (Sabah and Sarawak), eventually we will grow further into Brunei, Palawan, Mindanao and also to Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia and so on,” said Razib, who is a former Energy Commission Chief Executive Officer.
“This project shows that if you integrate together you can strengthen one another,” he added.
The interconnection, which became operational on Dec 13 last year, currently supplies 50 megawatts from Sarawak to Sabah, significantly boosting Sabah’s grid stability and reserve margin from a precarious four to five per cent to 14 per cent.
He said the Sabah-Sarawak project shows the Asean Power Grid need not wait for perfect conditions.
“We need leadership, a champion in Asean. I think Sarawak Energy and Sabah Electricity are two utility champions to drive other utilities in Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and other parts of the Asean region,” he said.
Sabah Electricity Chief Executive Officer Datuk Mohd Yaakob Jaafar said the additional capacity has strengthened Sabah’s energy security.
“We are looking forward to further increasing the capacity we import from Sarawak,” he said, projecting that Sabah’s reserve margin could reach 22 per cent within two years with expanded imports.
Sarawak Energy Chief Executive Officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili said the Borneo Grid would enable the region to share Sarawak’s renewable energy resources.
“We can help the whole region transition to a low carbon economy,” he said, noting that realising the Asean Power Grid through Borneo would allow renewable resources to be distributed across Southeast Asia.
He said the Asean Power Grid has been under discussion for over 30 years, making the Sabah-Sarawak interconnection a step towards finally achieving regional energy integration.
