KOTA KINABALU: The Tenom Pangi Hydroelectric Power Station (SJHTP), is expected to resume operations in March this year.
The station is an electric dam spanning the Padas River, operated by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB), and consists of 3 turbines with a capacity of 22 MW each.
On the night of October 31, 2022, major damage occurred to the civil structure and the generation plant of SJHTP due to landslides and mud floods. This incident resulted in all three turbines being damaged and unable to generate power.
Until now, the repair work for SJHTP has been carried out diligently, with the target completion dates set for March 2024 for the first turbine, June 2024 for the second turbine, and September 2024 for the third turbine.
Chief Executive Officer Ir.Ts Mohd Yaakob Hj Jaafar stated that SESB faced various challenges in the restoration work of the hydro station.
“The repair of the access road and interim slope protection (intake area and station) has been completed in 2023.
Currently, the process for implementing permanent slope protection in critical areas along the access road to the station is underway and scheduled for implementation in 2024,” he said in a media statement on Monday.
According to him, the cleaning of the power tunnel, measuring 4.4 km, and the penstock pipe, measuring 155 meters, is also being carried out diligently and is scheduled to be completed in March 2024.
At the same time, the cleaning work on the hydroelectric tunnel is being carried out by SESB workers and appointed contractors. Once completed, water from the Padas River will be channelled through the tunnel and rotated by the Unit 3 turbine.
As a result of this natural disaster, SESB has lost a generation capacity of 66 MW from SJ Hidro Tenom Pangi. The repair costs have reached a total of RM60 million so far.
