BY RITA JONG

THE EMERGENCE of renewable resources has changed world markets . The green industry is recognised as the way forward in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy supply . It is the era of climate investment and consumerdriven decarbonisation .

According to Forbes , despite the world coming to almost a halt during the Covid-19 pandemic , global renewable energy consumption grew by 9.7 per cent last year . Over the past decade , renewable energy consumption grew at an average annual rate of 13.4 per cent .

Hence , it is not surprising that companies are moving towards clean and renewable energy . Many corporations are recognising that it yields results in greater emphasis not only on the environment but also on a large economic scale .

While some are just beginning to make waves , State-owned Sarawak Energy Berhad , Malaysia ’ s largest renewable energy provider , has already embarked on the energy market way before the term ‘ Go Green ’ became popular .

Group CEO Datu Sharbini Suhaili shared in a recent interview with @ greenXtra how Sarawak ’ s green plan was coming along and how the State was on the right track in achieving developed status by 2030 .

On track to achieve sustainable goals

Sarawak has embarked on the renewable energy path for the past decade or so . The State ’ s energy provider , Sarawak Energy , plays a pivotal role in meeting the demand for reliable and renewable sources through hydropower development .

Sharbini said Sarawak Energy had made tremendous strides over the past 100 years to transform from

Datu Sharbini Suhaili

a traditional utility into a modern and agile company and energy developer with regional ambition .

As a result of a decade ’ s energy strategy focus and accelerated growth , Sarawak ’ s power system has been decarbonised by as much as 68 per cent . It is on track to achieving its developed status by 2030 .

“ We provide power to light up our population of about three million across the State , in urban and rural communities , homes and

businesses through a sustainable energy mix ,” said Sharbini .

“ We are accelerating our rural electrification programmes to support Sarawak ’ s ambition . We want to achieve full electrification by 2025 or sooner , ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal ( UN SDG ) 7 target of 2030 .

“ In 2018 , an allocation of RM2.37 billion from the Sarawak Government under the Accelerated Rural Electrification Masterplan spearheaded by the Ministry of

Utilities Sarawak and implemented by Sarawak Energy enabled the simultaneous implementation of the rural electrification strategies .”

Sharbini also said with urban areas fully electrified , rural electrification coverage in Sarawak rose to 95 per cent in 2020 compared to just 56 per cent in 2009 . This is expected to reach 97 per cent in the coming months .

Generation mix

Thanks to its hydropower technology , Sarawak Energy offers the lowest average unsubsidised tariffs in Malaysia , among the lowest in the region .

“ In 1921 , when we were a small unit in the Public Works Department , electricity was supplied via diesel generators . In the early 1980s , before the commissioning of the 108MW Batang Ai Hydroelectric Plant ( HEP ), our generation mix was 65 per cent diesel and 35 per cent gas .

“ Our hydropower story began in the mid-1980s when our 108MW Batang Ai Plant was commissioned .”

“ In the 1990s , our generation mix was 14 per cent diesel , 61 per cent gas , 12 per cent coal and 13 per cent hydropower .”

“ In the 2000s , there was strategic pivot to renewable energy and development of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy ( SCORE ) to move towards industrialisation and further decarbonisation ,” said Sharbini .

It also saw the commissioning of the 2,400MW Bakun HEP in 2011 and 944MW Murum HEP in 2014 . Hence , the generation mix eventually evolved to predominantly hydropower complemented by indigenous gas and coal for the security of supply . In 2016 , hydropower in the generation mix had increased to around 75 per cent .

Sarawak Energy is also con-