KUCHING: The proposed electricity supply from Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia remains at the policy and technical planning stage and will require detailed technical studies before a full feasibility assessment can be carried out, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof said.
Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said that although the proposal has received in-principle approval, significant groundwork remains before the project can progress further.
He explained that the next phase involves comprehensive technical evaluations, including surveys and studies that may involve Indonesia, given the potential cross-border considerations linked to the project’s transmission infrastructure.
“At this point, the project is still at the policy level. While in-principle approval has been granted, detailed technical studies must be conducted first, including surveys that involve notifying and coordinating with Indonesia,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the TNB Ceria Ke Sekolah Programme for the P194 Petra Jaya constituency.
According to Fadillah, the feasibility study for the proposed power supply project is expected to commence next year, subject to the completion of preliminary technical assessments and coordination among all relevant stakeholders.
The large-scale initiative is expected to involve several key players, including Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) and Sarawak Energy Berhad, each playing a distinct role in power generation, transmission and distribution.
On the issue of electricity tariffs, Fadillah said no decision has been made as pricing will depend on the outcome of detailed studies to determine the overall cost of the project, as well as negotiations between TNB and Sarawak Energy.
“Tariffs cannot be determined at this stage. We need to fully understand the project costs and agree on commercial terms between the parties involved,” he said.
Previously, media reports indicated that Sarawak had agreed in principle to supply up to 1,000 megawatts of green energy each to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia, signalling a new phase in cross-border energy cooperation under the ASEAN Power Grid initiative.
Fadillah stressed that such projects require careful planning due to their technical complexity, financial implications and strategic importance to national energy security and sustainability goals.
