KL power firm to focus on hydro-power

KL power firm to focus on hydro-power

Malaysia's electricity utility firm Tenaga Nasional will focus on
developing hydro-electric plants in efforts to ease the country's
dependence on gas, reports said Sunday.

Tenaga's chairman Jamaluddin Mohamad Jarjis said gas-fueled
plants currently contributed to 80 percent of the country's total
power consumption, while another 20 percent was from coal and
hydro plants.

Jamaluddin said the development of the hydro-electric units
would reduce the high dependence on gas, a non-renewable
resource, as well as promote a cleaner and healthier environment.

"Electricity generation using hydropower is much safer and
viable although the (infrastructure) cost is high, it is much
cheaper to produce when compared against that generated from gas
and coal," he was quoted by the official Bernama news agency as
saying.

Jamaluddin was speaking to reporters Saturday at the official
opening of the 1.8 billion (US$4.7 million) Sultan Ismail Petra
hydropower station in the northeastern Kelantan state.

He said the firm was looking into similar hydro-electric
projects nationwide to "ensure that Malaysians receive enough
electricity through a stable system".

The utility giant is currently working on a feasibility study
into the development of a $1 billion hydro-electric project in
the central Pahang state, which would be capable of generating
1,000 megawatts of power, he said. -- AFP