Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) has announced plans to gradually phase out operations of the 210 MW Sejingkat coal-fired power plant in Malaysia.
The plant’s decommissioning is expected to be finished by 2026. The Sejingkat power station, which was completed in two parts between 1998 and 2004, is the oldest of SEB’s three coal-fired power stations. In 2020, coal constituted 20 per cent of SEB’s total power generation capacity, which is to be reduced to 11 per cent by 2030. The company will also expand its alternative energy capacity in the upcoming years. This includes the 1,285 MW Baleh hydro dam, which is expected to be commissioned in 2027 as well as a 50 MW large-scale solar farm at the Batang Ai hydro dam reservoir, which will be operational in 2023. By 2030, SEB’s installed capacity will be raised to 7,279 MW with hydropower accounting for 69 per cent, solar energy accounting for about 5 per cent, while gas and coal will account for 16 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. The current move is in line with the state utility body’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions and decarbonise its power grid.