Sares lights up 451 remote households in Telang Usan
MIRI: Nine more remote longhouses far away from the state grid with 451 households in Telang Usan now have access to reliable 24-hour renewable electricity supply under the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (Sares).
In Miri Division, Sares has benefited 39 villages in Telang Usan, 11 villages in Beluru and 26 villages in Marudi, lighting up 3,805 households of about 34,657 residents.
A ceremony was held yesterday at Long Anyat in Baram, where Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom handed over the solar systems from Sarawak Energy to the longhouses of Long Anyat, Long Sinung, Long Beku, Long Lilim, Long Daloh, Long Keluan, Long Selatong (Tanjung Tepalit), Long Selatong Dikan and Long Anap.
Under the Rural Electrification Master Plan, RM2.37 billion was allocated for 2019/2020 to accelerate rural electrification in Sarawak as envisioned by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for Sarawak to achieve full electrification by 2025.
The remaining seven per cent or 22,360 households in Sarawak could be covered either through the Rural Electrification Scheme (RES) last mile connection to the state grid or through the alternative system (Sares).
The grid system development includes laying another 500 km of 33KV cables and construction of high voltage substations in Tatau (275KV) and in Kanowit (132KV), 10 substations ( 33KV) and 500km cables under the RES and Sares.
“Electricity coverage for rural population went up to 93 per cent in 2019 through various initiatives including the Sares programme that kicked off in 2016,” said Dr Rundi.
Under the RES master plan,
RM600 million was allocated to light up 12,000 households in 400 villages and longhouses in five phases, and over 7,900 households in 277 villages or longhouses have been supplied with electricity.
The handover ceremony also signified the successful completion of local community training to perform simple operation and maintenance work, with Sarawak Energy providing technical support free of charge under government funding.
With Sares, each household is provided with 3000Wh of renewable electricity daily, catering for a typical rural household’s basic needs that include lighting, fans, a television, a small freezer and rice cooker.
In urging the beneficiaries to take good care of this utility from the state government, Dr Rundi said this system brings much needed convenience to the households and allows the people to store fish and game meat, and saves time and money from frequent travel to town for supplies.
Sares utilises renewable off-grid solutions to supply electricity to remote villages and is one of several initiatives under the Rural Electrification Master Plan, driven and funded by the Sarawak government through the Ministry of Utilities with Sarawak Energy as its implementation agent.
Dr Rundi said it is proving to be a sustainable solution for lighting up the most remote communities in Sarawak’s hinterland.
Also present at the function yesterday were Assistant Minister of Utilities (Rural Electricity) Datuk Liwan Lagang, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, political secretary to the chief minister Charles Balang Seling, Telang Usan district officer Baru Tai, Laku Management Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Nelson Balang Rining and Sarawak Energy (Rural Electrification) vice president Dr Chen Shiun.