SARAWAK’S experiment with solar-power generation will begin in 2021 with the construction of a floating solar farm at the Batang Ai hydroelectric dam reservoir.

Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) CEO Sharbini Suhaili told reporters at the end of the Sustainability and Renewable Energy Forum in Kuching yesterday that the power generated, to be fed into the state’s electricity grid, will “not be too big, between 30 megawatts (MW) and 50MW”.

The pilot project will determine if solar energy has a place in the state-owned company’s future power-generation mix.

Sharbini said SEB’s projection is for solar power to generate between 4% and 5% of its electricity.

Currently, about 75% of the firm’s electricity is generated at its three hydroelectric plants in Murum, Bakun and Batang Ai. The remainder is by coal and gas.

“We have conducted a feasibility study, and we think it is possible,” said Sharbini of the solar project.

During CNBC’s “fireside chat” at the forum earlier, he said the reservoirs at hydroelectric dams were chosen for the solar farms “so we don’t have to cut down trees”.

To produce 1MW of solar power, 0.4ha of land is needed for solar panels.

If the solar farm at the Batang Ai dam reservoir were to be located on land, said Sharbini, plots of between 30ha and 50ha would be required.

“So, (solar generation) does have its problems. We would have to cut down a lot of trees (to have solar farms on land).”

He said hydroelectricity is the cornerstone of SEB’s generation mix because it remains the most efficient renewable energy-generation method, even though many countries have jumped on the solar and wind power bandwagon because costs have gone down drastically over the last 10 years.

Hydro converts more than 90% of the energy in water into electricity, he said, while gas converts only 55% and solar, from 8% to 10%.

“Solar and wind are not the most efficient way of generating power. They are intermittent, and they need to have storage (batteries).

“Hydropower is still the most stable and reliable. The water is like a battery itself.”

He said hydropower can be drawn on at any time, therefore, it has a big role to play in Sarawak moving forward.

Hydro methods and floating solar farms can be “a very good combination” for the state, he added. – December 12, 2019.