March 16: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan yesterday led the Sarawak delegation to meet Indonesia’s Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif in Jakarta.
A statement from his office said the meeting was part of the two-day mission in Jakarta to meet the Government of Indonesia to confirm Sarawak government’s support for the development of the Mentarang Induk Hydroelectric Project (Mihep).
The meeting with Arifin was held a day after Awang Tengah and the Sarawak delegation met Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, also in Jakarta.
The statement also explained that the Sarawak government is supporting the Mihep, to be built in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, through the participation of Sarawak Energy Berhad via its joint venture company, PT Kayan Hydropower Nusantara (PT KHN).
In the meeting, Awang Tengah expressed Sarawak’s appreciation to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) for the continuous support and assistance given to Sarawak Energy and PT KHN as large hydropower is complicated, requires time, expertise, effort, cooperation, and courage.
“Mihep is at an advanced stage of its preparation and as the ministry in-charge of energy, more advice and support will be sought from MEMR especially in the project’s application for principal permits under the ministry,” said the Deputy Premier.
He also disclosed that from his meeting with Luhut on Monday, he was impressed with the Government of Indonesia for the ambitious plan to materialise the Tanah Kuning Industrial area in North Kalimantan.
He pointed out Sarawak Energy’s experience in large hydropower and Renewable Energy-Based Industrial Development (Rebid) in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) is an added advantage in Sarawak’s participation for Tanah Kuning Green Energy Park.
According to him, this will strengthen the power development upstream of the industrial park.
“We understand the urgency of the project to deliver reliable, sustainable energy to Tanah Kuning on time, and moving forward, more support will be needed from MEMR, which includes the coordination with the relevant ministries and agencies especially on permitting,” said Awang Tengah.
Earlier on Monday, Awang Tengah and the Sarawak delegation during the courtesy visit to Luhut also witnessed the signing of Heads of Agreement (HoA) between Sarawak Energy, its joint venture company PT Kayan Patria Pratama (PT KPP) and PT Adaro.
The HOA will see Sarawak Energy (under Sarawak Energy Services) and PT KPP (under Kayan Investama Internasional) as the shareholders of PT KHN developing a partnership with PT Adaro to take part in the Mihep development.
The partnership would develop Mihep as the renewable energy supply to KIPI Tanah Kuning in support of the Government of Indonesia’s Rebid agenda.
The statement added Sarawak’s participation in hydropower development in North Kalimantan builds on Sarawak’s long and successful partnership with Indonesia’s Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), for Sarawak-West Kalimantan interconnection since 2016.
Among those in the Sarawak delegation were Minister of Utilities and Telecommunication Datuk Julaihi Narawi, Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, other government officials and representatives from Sarawak Energy.
