Sarawak Energy hosts media tour of Murum HEP, showcasing commitment to renewable energy, community development

BINTULU (Nov 8): Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) hosted a three-day media familiarisation trip to the Murum Hydroelectric Plant (HEP) as part of its annual media engagement programme.

Fourteen journalists were given an in-depth look at the facility’s operations, highlighting SEB’s commitment to transparency and open communication with stakeholders.

According to the utility company, Sarawak’s available generation capacity currently stands at 5,745MW of predominantly renewable hydropower, complemented by thermal resources of indigenous coal and gas for security of supply and diversity.

The 944MW Murum HEP, located in the Belaga District, Kapit, was commissioned in 2014.

“Murum is currently Sarawak’s second-largest hydroelectric plant after the 2,520MW Bakun HEP, and represents the company’s second major renewable energy project since the commissioning of the 94MW Batang Ai HEP in 1985,” SEB said in a statement.

For the record, Bakun HEP was acquired by SEB in 2017.

“Together with SEB’s other hydropower facilities, Murum HEP has a critical role in advancing Sarawak’s Post-Covid19 Development Strategy 2030 in elevating Sarawak to high-income status by harnessing renewable energy resources and delivering secure and reliable energy.

“In 2022, SEB initiated the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) generated from the Murum HEP under the I-REC registry, an online platform designed for transparent, secure, and reliable tracking of RECs.

RECs represent the environmental attributes of one megawatt hour of renewable energy generated and play a vital role in enabling organisations to meet renewable energy targets and reduce their carbon footprint, it said.

SEB disclosed that the Murum HEP RECs were auctioned during Bursa Carbon Exchange’s inaugural auction of RECs on 25 June 2024, where a total of 15 buyers from various industries purchased a total of 268,800 Hydropower RECs from vintage year 2024 (HRECv24) Contracts.

The Murum HEP reservoir is also the site of a potential floating solar power plant being assessed as part of a recently signed trilateral joint study agreement between SEB, clean energy solutions provider Gentari Sdn Bhd and United Arab Emirates state-owned clean energy provider, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar).

The feasibility study aims to assess the potential for a large-scale floating solar installation on the Murum reservoir and will encompass technical feasibility, environmental impact, and economic viability to determine if the project can be successfully implemented, it said.

“All hydropower facilities operated by SEB adhere to guidelines set by the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) and the Hydropower Sustainability Standard (HSS).”

In addition to complying with ICOLD’s international construction standards, SEB said the Murum HEP is monitored by both internal and external systems to ensure operations consistently remain within safe parameters.

The Murum HEP was developed in full compliance with Sarawak’s laws and regulations, with approvals granted following a Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) by the
Natural Resources and Environment Board in 2008.

“Community engagement was prioritised early in the process through the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) to provide socio-economic support, infrastructure, and cultural preservation for the Penan and Kenyah communities.

“SEB’s commitment to the Murum host community’s welfare includes corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives focused on literacy and livelihood programmes,” it said.

“Among the CSR programmes were the Murum Penan literacy programme to address low literacy rates amongst the adult resettled Penans; handicraft development for sustainable livelihood; education fund to empower the Murum Penan youth; and the Murum ‘Tagang’ system which aims to conserve the area’s fisheries.”

The company added that the Murum HEP’s original design was modified to incorporate ‘Batu Tungun’ – a natural rock formation, sacred to the local Penan community.

“While the initial plan involved cutting through part of the rock formation, the design was adjusted after receiving feedback from the local community representatives,” it said.

SEB also partnered with the Sarawak Forestry Corporation to conserve local ecosystems, establishing the Wildlife Monitoring and Rescue (WiMoR) programme which focuses on wildlife monitoring, habitat restoration, and supporting long-term sustainability of local ecosystems.

Under the WiMOR operation, the Murum Conservation Garden was set up in 2015 to conserve native plant species in the reservoir area, where an estimated 32,000 plants with around 12,000 tree seedlings have been relocated or planted at the reservoir area, including on the island which covers approximately 1.4ha of land.

Under the guidance of the Sarawak government and the Utility and Telecommunication Ministry, SEB is accelerating its rural electrification programmes to support the state’s ambition of achieving full electrification by 2025, ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal’s target by 2030.

Additionally, Sarawak Energy aims to be a renewable energy powerhouse for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), in driving forward green energy and sustainable development in the region.