Muguntan Vanar, The Star 15 Jan 10;
KOTA KINABALU: Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui says he was caught by surprise with a Sarawak government move to classify the exploitation of coal as one of its renewable energy projects.
“It is news to me,” Chin told reporters when asked the Sarawak government’s much-criticised move to classify the exploitation and mining of 1.156 billion tonnes of coal reserves as a renewable energy project.
“I want to investigate this further, I read about it but I do not know where such a classification came from,” said Chin, who witnessed the signing of power purchase agreement between Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd and SPR Energy Sdn Bhd on Friday.
Chin said the Federal Government does not consider coal “renewable energy.”
On a question about the proposed coal-fired powered plant in Tungku in Sabah’s east coast Lahad Datu district, Chin said that a detailed Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report would be available by March.
He said Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman had informed him that the state was waiting for the EIA report before a decision is made on whether to allow the 300MW plant, which has been strongly objected to by environmentalists.
Chin however said that there was a need for a 300MW plant in the east coast of Sabah.
“We don’t have a reliable supply. We need to have the 300MW plant ready to meet the electricity demands in the east coast,” he claimed.
