Bakun Hydroelectric Project
Encyclopedia
The Bakun Dam is an embankment dam
located in Sarawak
, Malaysia on the Balui River
, a tributary or source of the Rajang River
and some sixty kilometers west of Belaga
. As part of the project, the second tallest concrete-faced rockfill dam
in the world would be built. It is planned to generate 2,400 megawatts (MW) of electricity
once completed.
The purpose for the dam was to meet growing demand for electricity. However, most of this demand said to lie in Peninsular Malaysia
and not East Malaysia
, where the dam is located. Even in Peninsular Malaysia, however, there is an over-supply of electricity, with Tenaga Nasional Berhad being locked into unfavourable purchasing agreements with Independent Power Producers. The original idea was to have 30% of the generated capacity consumed in East Malaysia and the rest sent to Peninsular Malaysia. This plan envisioned 730 km of overhead HVDC transmission lines in East Malaysia, 670 km of undersea HVDC cable and 300 km of HVDC transmission line in Peninsular Malaysia.
Future plans for the dam include connecting it to an envisioned Trans-Borneo
Power Grid Interconnection, which would be a grid to supply power to Sarawak, Sabah
, Brunei
, and Kalimantan
(Indonesia
). There have been mentions of this grid made within ASEAN meetings but no actions have been taken by any party. Bakun Dam came online on 6 August 2011.
The project was first approved by government in 1986, it was shelved in 1990 due to decreased projection of electricity demand due to the recession of 1985 and the decision to use the then low-cost natural gas as fuel for developing the petrochemical industry.
Mahathir Mohammad. In January 1994, a privatized contract was awarded to Ekran Berhad. In April 1995, Ekran completes the EIA
of the project. The project was to cost US$2.4 billion and was originally scheduled for completion in 2003.
The dam was to be built beginning in 1994 by a privatised joint-venture consortium called Bakun Hydroelectric Corporation, comprising Ekran Berhad, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the government of Sarawak
, Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation
(Sesco), and Malaysia Mining Corporation Bhd (MMC). Ekran awarded the electromechanical works and the transmission portion to ABB. ABB's consortium partner for the civil works will be Companhia Brasileira de Projetos e Obras (CBPO) of Brazil, a large civil engineering company belonging to the Odebrecht Group, responsible for the construction of the dam and power house. Engineering consulting firms involved in the project then were TNB Hydro, a subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad and KLIA Consult.
Ekran launched a rights issue to finance the building of the dam, but it was undersubscribed and Ting Pek Khing (Ekran's chairman) had to put up $500 million to take up the unsubscribed portion as part of his agreement with the underwriters. Ekran was a company of Ting Pek Khing, himself a timber businessman. Neither he nor his company had built a dam before. The entire project was not tendered publicly, and instead was awarded by government contract.
The project was halted in 1997 in the face of the Asian financial crisis. When the project was shelved, the Malaysian government took back the project from this consortium. By this time, RM 1.6 Billion had already been paid out by the government. RM700 million to RM1.1 billion was paid as 'compensation' to Ekran, according to figures disclosed in Parliament. The completed works were the river diversion tunnels by Dong Ah of Korea for RM 400 million, and to Global Upline for work completed on the auxiliary coffer dams for RM 60 million. Other works are for selective clearing of biomass, and relocation of the affected native residents. The government had also turned over RM 1 billion for the purchase of 8 turbines.
contract. The completion date has been revised to February 2008.
The new civil builder is the Malaysia-China Hydro JV consortium, led by Sime Engineering Berhad
of Malaysia (a subsidiary of Sime Darby
and Sino-Hydro Corporation of China. Other members of the consortium are WCT Berhad, MTD Capital, Ahmad Zaki Resources, Syarikat Ismail and Edward & Sons. It targeted a completion date of September 2007. The total sum to be paid to this consortium was budgeted at RM 1.8 billion. The electromechanical works for the turbines were awarded in two contracts to IMPSA of Argentina and Alstom
of France.
In 2004, engineering consulting firm JR Knowles, was hired to study the delays in construction. Other engineering consulting firms involved in the project were Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation, of Australia and Opus International Malaysia.
Usage of the generated capacity was to have been by a proposed aluminium smelting plant in Similajau, near Bintulu
, approximately 180 km inland from the dam. The project is a joint venture between Dubai Aluminum Co, Ltd
(Dubal) and Gulf International Investment Group (GIIG), an investment fund jointly set up by Malaysian tycoon Syed Mokhtar, and Dubai-based international financier Mohamed Ali Alabbar. This plant was expected to consume 50% of the power generated. The government has agreed in principle that 60% of Sarawak Hidro, the entity which owns the dam, will be sold to GIIG. Due to delays in dam construction, the plans for the smelter have since been shelved. The agreement for this smelter was originally signed in 2003 and some conditions have lapsed due to delays in construction. Rio Tinto
announced in August 2007 that they had signed a deal with Malaysian conglomerate Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (CMSB) to build an aluminium smelter. The production capacity would be 550,000 tonnes initially with expansion to 1.5 million tonnes possible. Production of aluminium would start at the end of 2010.
At the end of 2004, the minor partners in the Malaysia-China Hydro JV consortium (Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd, WCT Engineering Bhd and MTD Capital) will report quarterly losses due to the Bakun project. Discounting this project, they would all be operating profitably for the quarter.
In November 2007, Sime Darby, the parent company of the contractor Sime Engineering will be merged with Golden Hope and Guthrie into a new company with a market capitalization of RM 31 billion (USD 8 billion). http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/11/28/business/16149148&sec=business Concurrently with the merger, the contractor Sime Engineering will takeover the ownership of the Bakun Dam project.
As of February 2007, there are three developments affecting the Bakun project. The first is the merger of the Sime Darby, Guthrie and Golden Hope into a new entity named Synergy Drive. The second is the proposed takeover of the Bakun project by the contractor, Sime Engineering. The third is the revival of the submarine HVDC cable under the South China Sea to transport electricity from Borneo to Peninsular Malaysia.
Sime Engineering Sdn Bhd has filed a suit against AZRB over alleged breaches in the Malaysia-China Hydro joint venture agreement dated June 12, 2002 relating to the Bakun dam. AZRB was served with a writ summons and statement of claim dated Oct 12 by Sime Engineering claiming “RM15.24 million for alleged breaches by AZRB of the Malaysia-China Hydro JVA” relating to Bakun hydroelectric project package CW2 - main civil works.
Construction of the dam required the relocation of more than 9,000 native residents (mainly Kayan/Kenyah) of the indigenous peoples who lived in the area to be flooded. Many Sarawak natives have been relocated to a longhouse settlement named Sungai Asap in Bakun. Most of them were subsistence farmers. Each family were promised 3 acres of land but many families still have not been compensated.
Concerns were raised also about such things as the relocation of people; amount of virgin tropical rainforest
which had to be cut down (230 km²); possible dam collapse issues; increase in disease
s with water-borne vectors such as schistosomiasis
, opisthorchiasis
, malaria
, and filariasis
; and sediment
accumulation shortening the useful lifespan of the dam. A 5 part series of Bakun dam documentaries was filmed by Chou Z Lam. The series highlighted the basic community problems faced by displaced indigenous people such as the lack of land areas for farming and hunting, lack of educational, medical, and transport facilities and also the promises not being kept by the government. This documentary series was later banned from Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) on May 2010, forcing the remaining series to YouTube
.
Transparency International includes Bakun Dam in its ‘Monuments of corruption’ Global Corruption Report 2005. The mandate to develop the project went to a timber contractor and friend of Sarawak’s governor. The provincial government of Sarawak is still looking for customers to consume the power to be generated by the project.
reported that Sinohydro had widely used a technique involving adding excessive water to cement, with potentially dangerous consequences. The Sarawak Report said its website was attacked after it published the report.
The first consist of an HVAC
double circuit overhead lines running over a distance of 160 km from Bakun Dam to Similajau Static Inverter Plant, situated east of Bintulu
and is planned beside the HVDC also the Sarawak state electricity grid which is operated by Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation
.
The three next section consist of a bipolar HVDC 500 kV-line. The first section of this line running from Similajau Static Inverter Plant to Kampung Pueh on Borneo will be implented as overhead line with a length of 670 km.
The next section is the submarine cable between Kampung Pueh to Tanjung Leman
. It will have a length of 670 km. It is planned to be implemented by 3 or 4 paralleized cables each with a transmission capacity of 700 MW.
The last section on Malaysia peninsula will consist of an overhead DC powerline running from Tanjung Leman
to the static inverter plant at Bentong
.
As part of the transmission works two converter stations will be built at Bakun and Tanjung Tenggara. The HVDC lines will connect to the National Grid, Malaysia
operated by Tenaga Nasional Berhad.
portion is to transport the electricity generated at Bakun Dam in Borneo to Malaysia, possibly by year 2012. The consortium partners equity possibly will be Sime Darby
(60%), Tenaga Nasional
(20%) and the Malaysian Ministry of Finance (20%). The consortium is exploring financing facilities of up to 80% of the planned investment.
The cable is planned to transport 1600 MW of power from the Bakun Dam to Yong Peng
via undersea HVDC power cables and then via land line onto the Malaysian National Grid
. The use of HVDC cables would ensure the energy loss is minimal, at about 5% to 6% only. The cost of the undersea cable is estimated at RM 9 billion. The proposed concept is for 2 x 800 MW cables being laid about 660 km under the South China Sea
from the Sarawak shore to Yong Peng on Peninsular Malaysia.
Sime Darby would take ownership of the submarine cable project but not undertake its construction. The contractor is rumoured to be Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), a public listed company on the KLSE
.
The buyer of electricity is Tenaga Nasional
. The rate proposed is RM 0.17 per kilowatt hour at the intake onto the National Grid. Analysts estimated that generation cost using world market rate natural gas would cost RM 0.22 per kilowatt hour. A 4% increase every 4 years is envisaged over the 35 year concession period.
On January 7, 2008, Sime Darby announce that they have appointed a financial adviser for the under sea power transmission project. However, the company did not name the financial adviser.
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
located in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, Malaysia on the Balui River
Balui River
Balui River is a river in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is a tributary of the Rajang River. The 2400 megawatt Bakun hydroelectric dam is located on the river....
, a tributary or source of the Rajang River
Rajang River
The Rajang River is a river in Sarawak, Malaysia. The river is located in northwest of Borneo and it originates in the Iran Mountains. The river flows approximately 563 km to the South China Sea, making it the longest river in Malaysia....
and some sixty kilometers west of Belaga
Belaga, Sarawak
Belaga is the capital of the Belaga District in the Kapit Division of Sarawak in east Malaysia. It is located on the upper reaches of the Rajang River, some 120 kilometers northeast of Kapit as the crow flies but considerably further on the river and slightly less than 100 kilometers...
. As part of the project, the second tallest concrete-faced rockfill dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
in the world would be built. It is planned to generate 2,400 megawatts (MW) of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
once completed.
The purpose for the dam was to meet growing demand for electricity. However, most of this demand said to lie in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
and not East Malaysia
East Malaysia
East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. It lies to the east from Peninsular Malaysia , which is located on the Malay Peninsula. The two are...
, where the dam is located. Even in Peninsular Malaysia, however, there is an over-supply of electricity, with Tenaga Nasional Berhad being locked into unfavourable purchasing agreements with Independent Power Producers. The original idea was to have 30% of the generated capacity consumed in East Malaysia and the rest sent to Peninsular Malaysia. This plan envisioned 730 km of overhead HVDC transmission lines in East Malaysia, 670 km of undersea HVDC cable and 300 km of HVDC transmission line in Peninsular Malaysia.
Future plans for the dam include connecting it to an envisioned Trans-Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
Power Grid Interconnection, which would be a grid to supply power to Sarawak, Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, and Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
(Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
). There have been mentions of this grid made within ASEAN meetings but no actions have been taken by any party. Bakun Dam came online on 6 August 2011.
First attempt
Initial survey was conducted in early 1960s and more studies were conducted in early 1980s. The studies cover the masterplan & feasibility report, rock & soil studies, hydro potential, detailed design & costing, environmental & socio-economic studies and HVDC transmission studies. Notable consultants involved were SAMA Consortium German Agency for Technical Cooperation, Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation & Maeda-Okumura Joint Venture, Fitchner and Swedpower Swedish Agency for Technical Cooperation.The project was first approved by government in 1986, it was shelved in 1990 due to decreased projection of electricity demand due to the recession of 1985 and the decision to use the then low-cost natural gas as fuel for developing the petrochemical industry.
Second attempt
It was revived in September 1993 by the Malaysian Federal Government led by then-Prime MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Mahathir Mohammad. In January 1994, a privatized contract was awarded to Ekran Berhad. In April 1995, Ekran completes the EIA
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
of the project. The project was to cost US$2.4 billion and was originally scheduled for completion in 2003.
The dam was to be built beginning in 1994 by a privatised joint-venture consortium called Bakun Hydroelectric Corporation, comprising Ekran Berhad, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the government of Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation
Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation
Syarikat SESCO Berhad is the privatized organization responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for the Sarawak state in Malaysia. It was privatized on 1 July 2005.SESCo provides electricity to about 382 000 customers...
(Sesco), and Malaysia Mining Corporation Bhd (MMC). Ekran awarded the electromechanical works and the transmission portion to ABB. ABB's consortium partner for the civil works will be Companhia Brasileira de Projetos e Obras (CBPO) of Brazil, a large civil engineering company belonging to the Odebrecht Group, responsible for the construction of the dam and power house. Engineering consulting firms involved in the project then were TNB Hydro, a subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad and KLIA Consult.
Ekran launched a rights issue to finance the building of the dam, but it was undersubscribed and Ting Pek Khing (Ekran's chairman) had to put up $500 million to take up the unsubscribed portion as part of his agreement with the underwriters. Ekran was a company of Ting Pek Khing, himself a timber businessman. Neither he nor his company had built a dam before. The entire project was not tendered publicly, and instead was awarded by government contract.
The project was halted in 1997 in the face of the Asian financial crisis. When the project was shelved, the Malaysian government took back the project from this consortium. By this time, RM 1.6 Billion had already been paid out by the government. RM700 million to RM1.1 billion was paid as 'compensation' to Ekran, according to figures disclosed in Parliament. The completed works were the river diversion tunnels by Dong Ah of Korea for RM 400 million, and to Global Upline for work completed on the auxiliary coffer dams for RM 60 million. Other works are for selective clearing of biomass, and relocation of the affected native residents. The government had also turned over RM 1 billion for the purchase of 8 turbines.
Third attempt
In May 2000 it was revived through a 100% government owned company, Sarawak Hidro, but the transmission of power to Peninsular Malaysia was not part of the revived project. The construction work was tendered out as a turnkeyTurnkey
A turn-key or a turn-key project is a type of project that is constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer in a ready-to-use condition.-Common usage:...
contract. The completion date has been revised to February 2008.
The new civil builder is the Malaysia-China Hydro JV consortium, led by Sime Engineering Berhad
Sime Darby
Sime Darby is Malaysia's leading multinational conglomerate involved in five core sectors: plantations, property, industrial, motors and energy & utilities, with a growing presence in healthcare...
of Malaysia (a subsidiary of Sime Darby
Sime Darby
Sime Darby is Malaysia's leading multinational conglomerate involved in five core sectors: plantations, property, industrial, motors and energy & utilities, with a growing presence in healthcare...
and Sino-Hydro Corporation of China. Other members of the consortium are WCT Berhad, MTD Capital, Ahmad Zaki Resources, Syarikat Ismail and Edward & Sons. It targeted a completion date of September 2007. The total sum to be paid to this consortium was budgeted at RM 1.8 billion. The electromechanical works for the turbines were awarded in two contracts to IMPSA of Argentina and Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
of France.
In 2004, engineering consulting firm JR Knowles, was hired to study the delays in construction. Other engineering consulting firms involved in the project were Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation, of Australia and Opus International Malaysia.
Items of temporary interest during third attempt
In May 2004 Ting Pek Khing's name again was raised in connection with the project. A Ting-owned company, Global Upline, was rumoured to be awarded a contract to undertake "biomass removal" in the flood basin. This would allow him to harvest timber in the area without a separate permit. Issuance of timber permits has come under increased scrutiny due to political conditions and environmental concerns. However, as of December 2006 it has not been awarded.Usage of the generated capacity was to have been by a proposed aluminium smelting plant in Similajau, near Bintulu
Bintulu
Bintulu is a coastal town, and the capital of Bintulu District in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is about 650 kilometers from Kuching and about 215 kilometers from either Sibu or Miri....
, approximately 180 km inland from the dam. The project is a joint venture between Dubai Aluminum Co, Ltd
Dubal
The Dubai Aluminium Company Limited , located in Jebel Ali, is one of the largest industrial companies in the UAE. Some 14% of its total workforce are UAE nationals....
(Dubal) and Gulf International Investment Group (GIIG), an investment fund jointly set up by Malaysian tycoon Syed Mokhtar, and Dubai-based international financier Mohamed Ali Alabbar. This plant was expected to consume 50% of the power generated. The government has agreed in principle that 60% of Sarawak Hidro, the entity which owns the dam, will be sold to GIIG. Due to delays in dam construction, the plans for the smelter have since been shelved. The agreement for this smelter was originally signed in 2003 and some conditions have lapsed due to delays in construction. Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
announced in August 2007 that they had signed a deal with Malaysian conglomerate Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (CMSB) to build an aluminium smelter. The production capacity would be 550,000 tonnes initially with expansion to 1.5 million tonnes possible. Production of aluminium would start at the end of 2010.
At the end of 2004, the minor partners in the Malaysia-China Hydro JV consortium (Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd, WCT Engineering Bhd and MTD Capital) will report quarterly losses due to the Bakun project. Discounting this project, they would all be operating profitably for the quarter.
- For Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd, this is the first time it will report losses since 1993. Ahmad Zaki estimates net losses suffered for nine months ending September 30, 2004 at RM4.55 million.
- WCT has reported a net loss of RM13.08 million for the quarter ending September 30, 2004 due to the Bakun project.
- MTD Capital reported a RM4.04 million loss in the quarter ending September 30, 2004 and attributed it to "a major project undertaken by the company in joint venture with both local and foreign partners" without specifically naming Bakun.
- The lead partner in the project, Sime Engineering reported a profit of RM521,000 for the same quarter versus a profit of RM4.18 million for the same quarter in 2003. Declines in profit were attributed to cost overruns and project delays.
In November 2007, Sime Darby, the parent company of the contractor Sime Engineering will be merged with Golden Hope and Guthrie into a new company with a market capitalization of RM 31 billion (USD 8 billion). http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/11/28/business/16149148&sec=business Concurrently with the merger, the contractor Sime Engineering will takeover the ownership of the Bakun Dam project.
As of February 2007, there are three developments affecting the Bakun project. The first is the merger of the Sime Darby, Guthrie and Golden Hope into a new entity named Synergy Drive. The second is the proposed takeover of the Bakun project by the contractor, Sime Engineering. The third is the revival of the submarine HVDC cable under the South China Sea to transport electricity from Borneo to Peninsular Malaysia.
Sime Engineering Sdn Bhd has filed a suit against AZRB over alleged breaches in the Malaysia-China Hydro joint venture agreement dated June 12, 2002 relating to the Bakun dam. AZRB was served with a writ summons and statement of claim dated Oct 12 by Sime Engineering claiming “RM15.24 million for alleged breaches by AZRB of the Malaysia-China Hydro JVA” relating to Bakun hydroelectric project package CW2 - main civil works.
Environmental and social damage
The Bakun dam flooding commenced on 13th October 2010 with a faulty start and will put 700 km² of land under water - equivalent to the size of Singapore. The rainforest of this part of Southeast Asia has some of the highest rates of plant and animal endemism, species found there and nowhere else on Earth, and this dam has done irreparable ecological damage to that region.Construction of the dam required the relocation of more than 9,000 native residents (mainly Kayan/Kenyah) of the indigenous peoples who lived in the area to be flooded. Many Sarawak natives have been relocated to a longhouse settlement named Sungai Asap in Bakun. Most of them were subsistence farmers. Each family were promised 3 acres of land but many families still have not been compensated.
Concerns were raised also about such things as the relocation of people; amount of virgin tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
which had to be cut down (230 km²); possible dam collapse issues; increase in disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s with water-borne vectors such as schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of trematodes , a parasitic worm of the genus Schistosoma. Snails often act as an intermediary agent for the infectious diseases until a new human host is found...
, opisthorchiasis
Opisthorchiasis
Opisthorchiasis is an parasitic disease caused by species in the genus Opisthorchis ....
, malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, and filariasis
Filariasis
Filariasis is a parasitic disease and is considered an infectious tropical disease, that is caused by thread-like nematodes belonging to the superfamily Filarioidea, also known as "filariae"....
; and sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
accumulation shortening the useful lifespan of the dam. A 5 part series of Bakun dam documentaries was filmed by Chou Z Lam. The series highlighted the basic community problems faced by displaced indigenous people such as the lack of land areas for farming and hunting, lack of educational, medical, and transport facilities and also the promises not being kept by the government. This documentary series was later banned from Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) on May 2010, forcing the remaining series to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Transparency International includes Bakun Dam in its ‘Monuments of corruption’ Global Corruption Report 2005. The mandate to develop the project went to a timber contractor and friend of Sarawak’s governor. The provincial government of Sarawak is still looking for customers to consume the power to be generated by the project.
Faulty construction
Chinese constructor Sinohydro has acknowledged that its construction procedures used for Bakun were flawed. The admission came after Sarawak ReportSarawak Report
The Sarawak Report is a Sarawak investigative journalism news online resource in UK founded by Clare Rewcastle Brown, sister-in-law of former UK prime minister Gordon Brown...
reported that Sinohydro had widely used a technique involving adding excessive water to cement, with potentially dangerous consequences. The Sarawak Report said its website was attacked after it published the report.
Technical specifications
The permanent dam components are as follows:- Main damDamA dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
- Maximum height above foundation of 205 m, and crest length of 750 m, volume of fill is 16.71 million m³.
- Crest elevation is 235 m above sea level (ASL), maximum flood level is 232 m, operating levels maximum 228 m and minimum 195 m.
- ReservoirReservoirA reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
area at 228 m ASL is 695 km², and with a catchmentDrainage basinA drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
area of 14,750 km². Gross storage volume is 43,800 million cubic meters.
- Power intake structure - 8 bays with 16 roller gates.
- Gated spillwaySpillwayA spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
- gated concrete weirWeirA weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
with chute and flip bucket, with capacity of 15,000 cubic meter per second. - Power tunnelTunnelA tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s - 8 tunnels of 8.5 m diameter each with lengths of 760 m each. - PowerhousePower stationA power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
- Surface powerhouse, with 4 level measuring 250 m length x 48 m width × 48 m height
- with 8 penstocks to powertrains comprising 8 vertical shaft Francis turbineFrancis turbineThe Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
s of 300 MW each, 8 air-cooled generators of 360 MVA each and 8 oil-immersed transformerTransformerA transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s of 360 MVA each.
Transmission lines
There are four major transmission lines sections:The first consist of an HVAC
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
double circuit overhead lines running over a distance of 160 km from Bakun Dam to Similajau Static Inverter Plant, situated east of Bintulu
Bintulu
Bintulu is a coastal town, and the capital of Bintulu District in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is about 650 kilometers from Kuching and about 215 kilometers from either Sibu or Miri....
and is planned beside the HVDC also the Sarawak state electricity grid which is operated by Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation
Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation
Syarikat SESCO Berhad is the privatized organization responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for the Sarawak state in Malaysia. It was privatized on 1 July 2005.SESCo provides electricity to about 382 000 customers...
.
The three next section consist of a bipolar HVDC 500 kV-line. The first section of this line running from Similajau Static Inverter Plant to Kampung Pueh on Borneo will be implented as overhead line with a length of 670 km.
The next section is the submarine cable between Kampung Pueh to Tanjung Leman
Tanjung Leman
Tanjung Leman is a coastal area in Johor, Malaysia, located 72 km south of Mersing. Pantai Tanjung Leman is a beach which is popular among the locals....
. It will have a length of 670 km. It is planned to be implemented by 3 or 4 paralleized cables each with a transmission capacity of 700 MW.
The last section on Malaysia peninsula will consist of an overhead DC powerline running from Tanjung Leman
Tanjung Leman
Tanjung Leman is a coastal area in Johor, Malaysia, located 72 km south of Mersing. Pantai Tanjung Leman is a beach which is popular among the locals....
to the static inverter plant at Bentong
Bentong
Bentong is both a town and a district in Pahang, Malaysia. The district covers an area of 1,831 km². It is located 80 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur, just across the main range, Titiwangsa Mountains. The original main street going into Bentong town has been modified to a dual carriageway...
.
As part of the transmission works two converter stations will be built at Bakun and Tanjung Tenggara. The HVDC lines will connect to the National Grid, Malaysia
National Grid, Malaysia
National Grid, Malaysia is the high-voltage electric power transmission network in Peninsular Malaysia. It is operated and owned by Tenaga Nasional Berhad by its Transmission Division...
operated by Tenaga Nasional Berhad.
Revival of submarine cable component
The revived submarine cableSubmarine cable
Submarine cable may refer to:*Submarine communications cable*Submarine power cable...
portion is to transport the electricity generated at Bakun Dam in Borneo to Malaysia, possibly by year 2012. The consortium partners equity possibly will be Sime Darby
Sime Darby
Sime Darby is Malaysia's leading multinational conglomerate involved in five core sectors: plantations, property, industrial, motors and energy & utilities, with a growing presence in healthcare...
(60%), Tenaga Nasional
Tenaga Nasional
Tenaga Nasional Berhad is the largest Electric utility company in Malaysia and also the largest power company in Southeast Asia with MYR 69.8 billion worth of assets. It serves over seven million customers throughout Peninsular Malaysia and also the eastern state of Sabah through Sabah Electricity...
(20%) and the Malaysian Ministry of Finance (20%). The consortium is exploring financing facilities of up to 80% of the planned investment.
The cable is planned to transport 1600 MW of power from the Bakun Dam to Yong Peng
Yong Peng
Yong Peng is a regional town in Malaysia in the state of Johor. It has an area of 1911.6 hectares with an estimated population of 29,046. Yong Peng has two main interchanges on North-South Expressway including north to Kuala Lumpur and south to Johor Bahru....
via undersea HVDC power cables and then via land line onto the Malaysian National Grid
National Grid, Malaysia
National Grid, Malaysia is the high-voltage electric power transmission network in Peninsular Malaysia. It is operated and owned by Tenaga Nasional Berhad by its Transmission Division...
. The use of HVDC cables would ensure the energy loss is minimal, at about 5% to 6% only. The cost of the undersea cable is estimated at RM 9 billion. The proposed concept is for 2 x 800 MW cables being laid about 660 km under the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
from the Sarawak shore to Yong Peng on Peninsular Malaysia.
Sime Darby would take ownership of the submarine cable project but not undertake its construction. The contractor is rumoured to be Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), a public listed company on the KLSE
Bursa Malaysia
Bursa Malaysia is an exchange holding company approved under Section 15 of the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007. It operates a fully integrated exchange, offering the complete range of exchange-related services including trading, clearing, settlement and depository services.- History :Bursa...
.
The buyer of electricity is Tenaga Nasional
Tenaga Nasional
Tenaga Nasional Berhad is the largest Electric utility company in Malaysia and also the largest power company in Southeast Asia with MYR 69.8 billion worth of assets. It serves over seven million customers throughout Peninsular Malaysia and also the eastern state of Sabah through Sabah Electricity...
. The rate proposed is RM 0.17 per kilowatt hour at the intake onto the National Grid. Analysts estimated that generation cost using world market rate natural gas would cost RM 0.22 per kilowatt hour. A 4% increase every 4 years is envisaged over the 35 year concession period.
On January 7, 2008, Sime Darby announce that they have appointed a financial adviser for the under sea power transmission project. However, the company did not name the financial adviser.
Submarine Cable
After much delays, Sarawak Energy Berhad announced that the contract to build the submarine cable would be awarded in mid-2010 with international tenders to be called in early 2010. It was expected that the construction would be completed by 2015 at an estimated cost of MYR8 billion to MYR10 billion. However, the project has been shelvedRecords
Once completed:- Bakun Dam will be the tallest concrete faced rockfill dam (CFRD) in the world.
- Bakun Lake will be the biggest lake in Malaysia by storage volume.
- Bakun Lake will be the largest lake in Malaysia by surface area, even though it is not apparent on the map, due to the sliver shape of the various lake tributaries, as a result of location in the highland valleys.
- Bakun Power Station will be the largest hydroelectric dam in Malaysia, surpassing the currently largest Pergau DamPergau DamPergau Dam is the hydroelectric dam in Kuala Yong, Kelantan, Malaysia. It is located about 100 km west of Kota Bharu.-Power station:The power station is a hydroelectric power station, using 4 turbines of 150 MW installed capacity...
's power station in Malaysia. - Bakun submarine power cable will be the longest in the world, surpassing the current Norway to Netherland submarine cableSubmarine cableSubmarine cable may refer to:*Submarine communications cable*Submarine power cable...
.
See also
- National Grid, MalaysiaNational Grid, MalaysiaNational Grid, Malaysia is the high-voltage electric power transmission network in Peninsular Malaysia. It is operated and owned by Tenaga Nasional Berhad by its Transmission Division...
- Sarawak Electricity Supply CorporationSarawak Electricity Supply CorporationSyarikat SESCO Berhad is the privatized organization responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for the Sarawak state in Malaysia. It was privatized on 1 July 2005.SESCo provides electricity to about 382 000 customers...
- List of HVDC projects
- List of power stations in Malaysia
External links
- Bukun Hydroelectric Project Government of Malaysia site.
- Role of ABB http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/c1256c290031524bc12567310022664c.aspx? extracted 15 December 2006
- Project History International Development Study extracted 15 December 2006.
- The Bakun Hydroelectric Project - Malaysia Friends of the Earth site.
- Dirty dam draws dirty smelters Asian Times Online. Extracted January 26, 2006.
- Article of Bakun Project with map of Powergrid of Malaysia