Under the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (SARES) in Tatau, 125 households from eight longhouses now enjoy 24-hour electricity supply.
The eight longhouses are Rumah Robert, Ng Segun (14 households); Rumah Edwin, Ng Belungai (36 households); Rumah Degom, Ng Puti (17 households); Rumah Ta’a, Ng Seda (14 households); Rumah Linggie, Ng Sikit (19 households); Rumah Paren, Sg Meruyau (9 households); Rumah Gerunsin, Sg Jambu (6 households); and Rumah Ghani, Batu Anap (10 households).
In Bintulu Division, SARES has already helped to supply electricity to 39 remote villages and longhouses.
By 2020, another 102 households from four longhouses will have access to 24-hour reliable and renewable electricity supply through SARES.
The four longhouses are Rumah Lawai Ak Chukai, Sg Sujan; Rumah Nompang, Sg Sujan; Rumah Palos, Sebauh; and Rumah Elwin Ugan, Sebauh.
Assistant Minister for Rural Electricity Supply Sarawak, YB Datuk Liwan Lagang officiated at the handover ceremony on 11th September at Rumah Robert Ng Segun, Ulu Kakus, Tatau that also commemorated the solar energy brings light to 125 households in Tatau completion and commissioning of the solar-powered systems.
The Accelerated Rural Electrification Masterplan aimed to expedite full electricity coverage for Sarawak by 2025 through a mix of strategies.
This included expanding the grid by extending transmission and distribution infrastructure as well as lighting up remote communities through off-grid solutions.
According to the Assistant Minister, the Ministry of Utilities and Sarawak Energy would continue to work closely to expedite efforts going by the allocation of RM2.37 billion which has been approved for 2019-2020 to accelerate rural electrification coverage to 97 per cent by 2020 towards full electrification by 2025.
Since it was launched in 2016, SARES has accelerated electricity coverage in Sarawak lighting up almost 5,000 households in 192 villages in remote Sarawak.
It is an innovative government-community partnership utilising renewable off-grid solutions to light up Sarawak’s most remote communities is one of several initiatives under the Masterplan, which is driven and funded by the Sarawak Government via the Ministry of Utilities Sarawak and implemented by Sarawak Energy.
Through SARES, it is expected that households in these very remote villages will be provided with either solar or micro-hydro solutions in the next two to five years.
First featured in RAKAN Sarawak July-September 2019 printed issue.
