KUCHING: 1,040 members of 208 rural households in Lemanak and Engkari will have 24-hour electricity supply by the end of 2021.
The electrification initiative in Sri Aman Division now stands at 94.7 per cent, with just over 780 rural households left to be covered.
“Under Phase One of the Rural Electrification Scheme (RES) for the area, 114 households from nine villages in Lemanak are expected to be connected to the grid by May, with 12 households from two villages already connected last December.
“Phase Two will light up 359 households from 18 villages in Engkari and the remaining households of Lemanak by 2021/2022.
“Of course, electrification works continue under full compliance with the relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs) and stringent in-house Covid-19 precautionary measures.
“The pandemic has presented uncertainties and challenges to safe and timely work progression,” said Utilities Minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.
Lemanak is about one to two hours’ drive from the Lubok Antu town and is reachable by gravel roads and old logging tracks. It can take up to four hours to reach the last longhouse of Ulu Lemanak, a tributary of the Batang Lupar.
Meanwhile, Engkari, the closest longhouse is around one hour away by boat from the Batang Ai jetty or can be reached from the Lubok Antu town through a one to two hours’ drive via logging tracks. The local communities mostly engage in small-scale fishing.
“However, due to the distance from the markets and without electricity, fresh catch cannot be kept long and must be sold immediately.
“With access to reliable electricity supply, our rural communities will enjoy greater convenience and opportunities. For the fishing community in Engkari, they can have refrigerators to store their fresh catch longer,” Rundi added.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Energy’s Rural Electrification vice-president Dr Chen Shiun said a dedicated team was continuing efforts to accelerate rural electrification implementation through various initiatives.
“We are currently constructing the 33kV Nanga Kesit substation while extending our lines to reach communities in the last miles of Engkari and to supply a wide expanse of Lemanak.
“The substation is expected to be commissioned by end of March, and will also enhance supply reliability to the entire Lubok Antu District.”
A new distribution system known as the Medium Voltage Covered Conductor (MVCC) has been adopted considering the area’s geographical conditions.
MVCC is able to withstand momentary contact with crops or vegetation without causing interruptions and this will help in strengthening supply reliability.
The Sarawak government, through the Ministry of Utilities and its implementing agency Sarawak Energy, is accelerating the delivery of rural electrification projects to ensure the provision of reliable and affordable electricity supply for the whole of Sarawak by 2025.
Despite the many challenges, Rundi assured the public that they remain committed to this effort.
“We have an effective strategy and an efficient delivery mechanism to extend existing Sarawak’s grid into the interior and for Sarawak’s most remote communities, we have the standalone off-grid solutions.
“Through RES, we are extending grid lines into the interior by constructing electrical distribution poles and supply lines. Rural Power Supply Scheme (RPSS) will supplement RES by introducing new transmission, distribution lines and substations at strategic rural locations to enable RES to be extended to the more remote areas.”
Under RPSS, power supply reliability will be reinforced with substations that can quickly isolate faulty equipment to restore supply speedily.
In 2020, with the electrification of 6,600 households, Sarawak’s rural electricity coverage reached 95 per cent and is expected to achieve 97 per cent in the coming months.
