A glimpse into the attitude of SESB

Dr Daniel M. Kammen, an energy researcher claimed that Sabah’s palm oil industry produces enough waste to generate up to 700MW of electricity based on the 2008 palm oil production statistics and conservative growth estimates in the recent forum on energy options for Sabah organised by Green Surf.

Present in the same forum was one Abdul Nasir Abdul Wahid who represented Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB), who, instead of listening to the claim made by Dr Daniel M. Kammen and at least appear to be interested into what this energy researcher has to say. The good representative from SESB insisted that the biomass approach to generate power was not viable to generate 300MW of electricity needed in the state’s east coast.

From this reported attitude of Abdul Nasir Abdul Wahid in the star online, it gave me a glimpse of the attitude of SESB towards Sabah electricity crisis. It seems that SESB is hellbent to go ahead with their coal fired plant, despite the opposition from the people. It is ironic that the SESB is so dismissive of renewable energy from palm waste as there is actually a United Nation Development Program (UNDP) in Malaysia developing Biomass Power Generation and Co-generation in the Palm Oil Mills.

The mere existence of the UNDP had itself lends credit to the claims made by Dr Daniel M. Kammen of the potential of Palm waste in renewable energy for Sabah.

It buggers my mind that how and why would SESB adopt the attitude of completely overlooking researches done in both private institution and in local universities, namely UM and USM on the huge benefit and potentials of palm waste for renewable energy generation. One such research that the Malaysian Palm Oil Board is also currently undertaking and the report will be readied in a month time as reported by the Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok via Bernama.

Sometimes the stubbornness of SESB in pushing the coal fired plant made me wonder if there were unspoken vested interest hidden in their endeavor. It would be extremely hypocritical for Sabah to support the Earth Hour come Saturday night (27th March, 2010), when our very own Electricity Company is pushing for a new coal fired plant.