KOTA KINABALU: A former Sabah chief minister, who is backing an anti-coal power plant lobby that is steadily gathering steam, said the federal government cannot do what it likes just because it owns the land where the plant is to be sited.
Harris Mohd Salleh also said there were a host of cheaper, quicker and environmentally-friendly solutions to the state's power woes.
"It is not the end of the world without coal-fired power generation.
"Based on what I have read and heard from the Green groups and concerned citizens, I can see merit in their opposition to the proposed coal-fired plant.
“I agree that preserving Sabah as a nature (friendly) and beautiful country is worthy of help."
Harris, who led the Berjaya state government from 1976 to 1985, also questioned the location for the proposed 300MW plant.
The proposed plant is sited on the shores of Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu on the east coast of Sabah.
He said the area around the site in Tunku, Lahad Datu is the most productive zone for seafood and should be preserved at all costs.
"From the nature and beauty preservation perspective, the coastal belt stretching from the Dent Peninsular northwards towards Sandakan Trusan-Kinabatangan and southwards towards Semporna-Tawau and Kalimantan … is the best marine environment not just in Malaysia but the world as a breeding and feeding ground of marine life."
Environmentalists and Sabahans fear the massive, discharge of chlorinated water into the sea would suffocate much of the marine life in the bay area and the subsequent long-term ecological consequences on what is now the richest seafood basket of the state.
Harris said it was hard to understand why the government is adamant on proceeding with the coal-fired power plant despite strong objections and availability of many alternatives energy sources.
Among the alternatives Harris suggested, is transmitting power to Tawau from the proposed 300MW Gas-fired power plant in Kimanis which is due to be completed in two years according to the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd master plan.
"The government spent RM600 million on the East-West Penampang/Sigaliau (Sandakan) grid several years ago which has the capacity to transmit 1,000MW of electricity across Sabah but is presently only carrying 50 to 100MW per day.
"Together with the East-West grid, the Southern grid originally scheduled to be built by 2012 is intended to act as a state transmission loop designed to carry more than 1,000MW between the east and west coasts without any fear of interruption because even if a transmission tower collapses between Penampang and Sagaliau, transmission can be switched to the southern grid between Kimanis and Tawau," he noted.
He explained that if the Southern grid is completed, the 200MW Ulu Tomani hydro dam now being constructed could be hooked to it as well as the 67MW geothermal potential discovered in Apas Kiri in Tawau when it is developed.
Another alternative is natural gas.
"As far as I know, in the Dent Peninsular itself, the British Colonial government issued a license to a French company in the 1950s to extract gas on shore. However at that time the price of natural gas was very low coupled with no modern technology and not much was known about the deposits," he revealed.
Petronas is also said to be exploring the potential of the Kalabakan gas deposits.
"Gas deposits in Nunukan, Indonesia just across the Tawau border is reportedly very large and I know for a fact that Nunukan is more than willing to sell it to Tawau. Besides, this gas field is only 70Km from Tawau.
"The talk in town in both Tawau and Nunukan is that there are large deposits of oil and gas in an area known as Ambalat Block located at the border between Indonesia and Malaysia.
"Since the area is within the BIMP-EAGA and also given the close relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia, there is no problem to develop Ambalat oil and gas jointly as in the case between Thailand and Malaysia.
"I think the government should look into the possibility of developing these natural gas sources," Harris said.
The lengthy period before the proposed plant comes on line was also a factor that should be looked into, Harris added.
"The delivery of the 300MW coal-fired plant will take at least 3 to 4 years whereas developing of or connecting any gas field in the area will take one year or two at the most."
He suggested that the proposed 300MW power generation in Kimanis be increased to 600MW and 300MW transmitted to the east coast of Sabah and perhaps also sold to Brunei.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/3895-former-sabah-cm-says-no-to-coal-power-plant
