Sarawak Energy Assures Plans in Place for Enhanced Supply Reliability in Niah

MIRI
19 MAY 2023

Sarawak Energy acknowledges the frustrations expressed by the community over the supply reliability challenges faced by Niah residents and assures them that active measures are being taken to address this issue.

The electricity provider is currently expediting several initiatives to enhance the supply reliability in the area and resolve the problem.

"While some outages are inevitable due to the need for system shutdowns during new customer connections and maintenance, we have been working around the clock to restore power supply to our customers in the shortest time possible for cases of equipment faults," said Mohammad Saiful Misi, Sarawak Energy's Regional Manager for the Northern Region.

"We sincerely apologise to the customers who were affected and thank them for their patience and understanding as we strive to find a long-term solution for Niah. Please be assured that we are making significant investments in new technology and infrastructure upgrades to enhance the reliability of the power supply in the area.

"Sarawak Energy is currently in various stages of constructing the Niah EHV substation expected to be completed by 2026. The new substation, costing RM185 million, will serve as an additional injection point for the Niah areas, reducing supply lines and facilitating efficient switching operations in the event of a tripping. Once operational, this substation will effectively minimise vulnerability to outages caused by external factors on long lines," said Mohammad Saiful.

Other proactive measures taken by Sarawak Energy to improve performance and reduce electricity supply disruptions include upgrading transformers to higher capacities to meet the growing local load demand.

To improve response time during power outages and expedite the restoration of electricity supply, Sarawak Energy is also installing smart equipment and devices that leverage digital technology. These advancements will enable efficient switching operations and reduce downtime.

In order to mitigate disruptions caused by vegetation, Sarawak Energy is upgrading overhead lines with bare conductors in areas exposed to vegetation to insulated conductors. Furthermore, regular tree cutting maintenance is being conducted to effectively minimise the risk of vegetation interference with power lines.

In the meantime, Sarawak Energy seeks cooperation from the public to immediately notify the electricity provider should there be outages as its technical team are on 24-hour standby to immediately attend to any outage.

To report an outage, kindly reach out to Sarawak Energy's 24/7 Customer Care Centre at 1300-88-3111, email [email protected], use the Sarawak Energy mobile app SEB Cares or chat with virtual agent CARINA to report outages to assist in speedy restoration of electricity supply. The public is also encouraged to report any suspicious activities near Sarawak Energy's facilities.