Mobile gen sets not cause of load shedding – SESB

KOTA KINABALU: Load shedding exercises conducted by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) lately is not caused by the mobile generator sets in the east coast, stated the power utility company yesterday.

A press statement issued by SESB explained that the sets are running at optimum level and therefore brought down the rate of power disruption in Sandakan by 81.6 per cent and Tawau by 87.34 per cent in February 2010 compared to September 2009.

General manager for Corporate Services, Wan Maria Othman Lee said the load shedding exercise had to be carried out due to three reasons.

Low water level at the Tenom Pangi Hydro Station had rendered it to run at low capacity, the Sepangar Bay Corporation (SBPC) independent power station was undergoing mandatory maintenance and the hot weather led to escalating energy demand from an increased use of electricity especially for cooling systems.

“The combination of these factors has caused a lot of stress to the generation systems and load shedding has to be conducted to ensure system stability.

“The situation has created significant deviation from the incremental progress achieved in terms of supply reliability and improvements on SAIDI within the months of January and February,” she said. SAIDI is the Supply Average International Duration Index.

SESB also iterated that when it first made public last year the decision to source generator sets for distribution to the east coast, it had never mentioned that the sets would be new.

At a briefing in Sandakan on 21 August 2009, the former Senior General Manager for Operation, Peter Lajumin announced that SESB would be supplying mobile generator sets with a capacity of 40MW.

Maria said there was not mention of the gen sets being new at that time neither at the briefing nor to the press.

“The overriding consideration at that time was how fast we can get the machines delivered on the ground and generate power to the people. And SESB knows for a fact that, to get completely new sets will take between 24 to 48 weeks per 20MW block (i.e. with staggered delivery) and some up to 77 weeks,” she explained.

SESB initially proposed to get a number of mobile gen sets with a capacity of 20MW but at a briefing with Sabah elected representatives on 18 August 2009, it was decided to raise the capacity to 40MW.

Therefore, in order to generate 40MW, SESB had to source 32 mobile gen sets and within a few months these units were installed.

Fifteen gen sets were placed at the main distribution substation of Sim-Sim in Sandakan with the first blocks of 10MW completed on 15 October 2009 and the second blocks of 10MW completed on 7 November 2009.

At the main distribution substation of Pasir Putih in Tawau, there were 17 units allocated again with the first blocks of 10MW completed on 14 November 2009 and the second blocks of 10MW on 24 December 2009.

SESB submits daily progress reports on SAIDI to the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water to ensure the pledge by its Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui to reduce SAIDI to 700 minutes by year end in Sabah.

Chin had even promised to resign if that target was not met.

“In the context of recent events, our reports to the Ministry on the causes of March load shedding was consistent with what we had informed the public in the mass media. Throughout those load shedding period, there never was any report to the Ministry that it was caused by the mobile gen sets. As it never was the fact of those moments.

“We truly regret that, the decision to acquire the mobile gen sets, in a manner that can deliver the power supply within the shortest timeframe possible, has created unintended consequences,” said Wan Maria in the statement adding that SESB never intended to withhold or hide from the public, the option to consider rental of the mobile gen sets.