SCHOOL OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING

REG 265
ASSIGNMENTS
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY SYSTEM IN
MALAYSIA
NAME
NATASSYA NABILLA BINTI YUSOFF
SHAHRUL EZZATI BINTI SHAHRUL AMIR
SITI NURSYAFIQAH MOHD ZULKAIRI
NUR DEENA SYAHEEDA BINTI BAHROM
SUBMISSION DATE: 29 NOVEMBER 2013
LECTURERS NAME: DR RODZI ISMAIL

MATRIX NUMBER
114696
111416
114786
114722

1.

Introduction

1.1

History of Electricity Supply in Malaysia

Mains electricity is the general-purpose alternating-current (AC) electric power

supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power,
household electricity, house current, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power,
AC power, city power, street power, and grid power. In many parts of Canada, it is called
hydro, because much of the Canadian electrical generating capacity is hydroelectric.
Electricity first made its appearance in Malaysia at the turn of the 20th century, and
the earliest record of power generation can be traced back to a small mining town in
Rawang, Selangor. Here, two enterprising individuals Loke Yew and Thamboosamy Pillai
installed an electric generator in 1894 to operate their mines; they were the first to use
electric pumps for mining in Malaya, and marked the great beginning of the story of
electricity in Malaysia. In the same year, private supply for street lighting purposes was
extended to Rawang town, and in 1895 the railway stations in Kuala Lumpur received its
first electricity supply. In 1900, the Sempam Hydroelectric Power Station in Raub, built by
the Raub Australian Gold Mining Company became the first power station in Malaysia.
Until the mid nineteen twenties, most generating plants were small and used a
variety of fuel including low grade coal, local wood, charcoal and important oil as well as
water power. As the rapid increase in electricity demands continued to manifest; large scale
planning, huge sums of capital from overseas and hiring of foreign technical experts became
essential. Hence, the Central Electricity Board (CEB) was established and came into
operation on 1 September 1949. The Board was to become heir to three major projects
considered by the Electricity Department following its re-establishment in April 1946:
The Connaught Bridge Power Station,
The Cameron Highlands Hydroelectric Project &
The development of a National Grid
CEB became owner to 34 power stations with a generation capacity of 39.88 MW,
including a steam power station in Bangsar with a capacity of 26.5 MW, a hydroelectric
power station at Ulu Langat with a capacity of 2.28 MW as well as various diesel affairs with
a total capacity of 11.1 MW. CEB also became owner to both transmission and distribution
systems above and below ground valued at close to thirty million dollars, as well as the
impressive list of 45,495 consumers and staff of 2,466.
The age of private generators has come to an end, and all walks of life continue to
enjoy fair share of electricity. For this, we sincerely thank the government for recognizing
the central role of the power industry in developing the nation's economy and social
growth.
In 1964, the second expatriate General Manager of CEB, J. Sharples retired, and Raja
Zainal bin Raja Sulaiman became the first Malaysian appointed to the post. Soon, The
Connaught Bridge Power Station became fully operational and the first phase of the
Cameron Highland Hydroelectric Project was close to completion. In Selangor, the precursor
of the National Grid was slowly taking shape, and the Bangsar Power Station was connected
to the Connaught Bridge Power Station, with the line subsequently extended to Malacca.

On 22 June 1965, Central Electricity Board (CEB) of the Federation of Malaya was
renamed as the National Electricity Board of the States of Malaya (NEB). Committed to long
term programme of growth and expansion backed by plans carefully crafted and laid down
in the period of CEB, NEB is now firmly led by a Malaysian as the CEO.
The National Grid was one of the plans in full motion. The National Grid or Grid
Nasional in Malay is the primary electricity transmission network linking the electricity
generation, transmission, distribution and consumption in Malaysia. Electricity generating
plants are strategically located at Paka in Terengganu, Temengor, Kenering, Bersia and
Batang Padang in Perak, Connaught Bridge, Kapar and Serdang in Selangor, Cameron
Highlands in Pahang, Prai in Penang, Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan, Pergau in Kelantan,
Pasir Gudang in Johor and in Malacca.
Keeping the nation's interest in mind, the government relentlessly pursued its
ultimate objective and two pieces of legislation were passed to replace the existing
Electricity Act, and to provide for the establishment of a new corporation TENAGA
NASIONAL BERHAD (TNB), purposefully replacing the NEB (Successor Company Act). Datuk
Hj. Ibak bin Abu Hussein became the last Deputy Chairman and General Manager of the NEB
and the first Managing Director of TNB.
On 1 September 1990, Prime Minister Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad officially
proclaimed TNB as the heir and successor to NEB. TNB became a private company whollyowned by the government; on the same day, Tan Sri Dato Haji (Dr) Ani bin Arope was
appointed Chairman.

2.

Supply System in Malaysia

The conveyance of electric power from a power station to consumers premises is

known as electric supply system. An electric supply system consists of three principal
components viz., the power station (generation system), the transmission lines and the
distribution system.

The electric supply system can be broadly classified into

2.1

d.c. or a.c. system

overhead or underground system

Power station (Generation System)

Electricity generation is the process of generating electrical power from other

sources of primary energy. The fundamental principles of electricity generation were
discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday. His
basic method is still used today: electricity is generated by the movement of a loop of wire,
or disc of copper between the poles of a magnet.
For electric utilities, it is the first process in the delivery of electricity to consumers.
The other processes, electricity transmission, distribution, and electrical power storage and
recovery using pumped-storage methods are normally carried out by the electric power
industry.
Electricity is most often generated at a power station by electromechanical
generators, primarily driven by heat engines fueled by chemical combustion or nuclear
fission but also by other means such as the kinetic energy of flowing water and wind. Other
energy sources include solar photovoltaic and geothermal power.
One of the generation power systems is water turbine. The theory of operation of
water turbine is simple. The flowing water will directed on to the blades of a turbine runner,
creating a force on the blades. Since the runner is spinning, the force acts through a distance
(force acting through a distance is the definition of work). In this way, energy is transferred
from the water flow to the turbine

Water turbines are divided into two groups; reaction turbines and impulse turbines. The
precise shape of water turbine blades is a function of the supply pressure of water, and the
type of impeller selected.

2.2

Transmission Lines

Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating

power plants to electrical substations located near demand centers. This is distinct from the
local wiring between high-voltage substations and customers, which is typically referred to
as electric power distribution. Transmission lines, when interconnected with each other,
become transmission networks. The combined transmission and distribution network is
known as the "power grid" in the United States, or just "the grid". In the United Kingdom,
the network is known as the "National Grid". In electronic engineering, a transmission line is
a specialized cable or other structure designed to carry alternating current of radio
frequency, that is, currents with a frequency high enough that their wave nature must be
taken into account.
Most transmission lines use high-voltage three-phase alternating current (AC),
although single phase AC is sometimes used in railway electrification systems. High-voltage
direct-current (HVDC) technology is used for greater efficiency in very long distances
(typically hundreds of miles (kilometres)), or in submarine power cables (typically longer
than 30 miles (50 km)). HVDC links are also used to stabilize against control problems in
large power distribution networks where sudden new loads or blackouts in one part of a
network can otherwise result in synchronization problems and cascading failures.

2.3

Distribution System

Electricity distribution is the final stage in the delivery of electricity to end users. A
distribution system's network carries electricity from the transmission system and delivers it
to consumers. Typically, the network would include medium-voltage (2kV to 34.5kV) power
lines, substations and pole-mounted transformers, low-voltage (less than 1 kV) distribution
wiring and sometimes meters.
Distribution networks are typically of two types, radial or interconnected. A radial
network leaves the station and passes through the network area with no normal connection
to any other supply. This is typical of long rural lines with isolated load areas. An
interconnected network is generally found in more urban areas and will have multiple
connections to other points of supply. These points of connection are normally open but
allow various configurations by the operating utility by closing and opening switches.
Operation of these switches may be by remote control from a control center or by a
lineman. The benefit of the interconnected model is that in the event of a fault or required
maintenance a small area of network can be isolated and the remainder kept on supply.
Within these networks there may be a mix of overhead line construction utilizing traditional
utility poles and wires and, increasingly, underground construction with cables and indoor
or cabinet substations. However, underground distribution is significantly more expensive
than overhead construction. In part to reduce this cost, underground power lines are
sometimes co-located with other utility lines in what are called common utility ducts.
Distribution feeders emanating from a substation are generally controlled by a
circuit breaker which will open when a fault is detected. Automatic circuit reclosers may be
installed to further segregate the feeder thus minimizing the impact of faults.

3.

Main Power Supplier

Our main power supply is Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). Tenaga Nasional Berhad is
the largest Electric utility company in Malaysia and also the largest power company in
Southeast Asia with MYR 69.8 billion worth of assets. It serves over seven million customers
throughout Peninsular Malaysia and also the eastern state of Sabah through Sabah
Electricity Sdn Bhd. TNB's core activities are in the generation, transmission and distribution
of electricity. Other activities include repairing, testing and maintaining power plants,
providing engineering, procurement and construction services for power plants related
products, assembling and manufacturing high voltage switchgears, coal mining and trading.
Operations are carried out in Malaysia, Mauritius, Pakistan, India and Indonesia.
Transmission Division
Currently, the TNB Group has a complete power supply system, including the National Grid
which is energised at 132, 275 and 500 kilovolt (kV), with its tallest electricity pylon in
Malaysia and Southeast Asia being the Kerinchi Pylon located near Menara Telekom,
Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur. The National Grid is linked via 132 kV HVAC and 300 kV HVDC
interconnection to Thailand and 230 kV cables to Singapore.
TNB, through its subsidiaries, is also involved in the manufacturing of transformers, high
voltage switchgears and cables, consultancy services, architectural, civil and electrical
engineering works and services, repair and maintenance services and fuel undertakes
research and development, property development, and project management services.
Generation Division
The Generation division owns and operates thermal assets and hydroelectric generation
schemes in Peninsular Malaysia and one Independent Power Producer (IPP) operating in
Pakistan. In the peninsula, it has a generation capacity of 11,296 MW.
Among plans to expand its generation capacity include increasing hydroelectric generation
by 2015[5] and commissioning the first nuclear power plant in Malaysia by 2025 if the
government decides to include nuclear as an acceptable energy option.
Distribution division
The Distribution division conducts the distribution network operations and electricity retail
operations of TNB. The division plans, constructs, operates, performs repairs and
maintenance and manages the assets of the 33 kV, 22 kV, 11 kV, 6.6 kV and 415/240 volt in
the Peninsular Malaysia distribution network. Sabah Electricity provides the same function
in the state of Sabah.
To conduct its electricity retailing business, it operates a network of state and area offices to
purchase electricity from embedded generators, market and sell electricity, connect new
supply, provide counter services, collect revenues, operate call management centers,
provide supply restoration services, and implements customer and government
relationships.

4.

Generation System

Use of generator to generate electricity in substantial amout

Type of generators
Hydro
Thermal
Diesel
Gas
Solar
Steam

4.1

HYDROPOWER

Peninsular Malaysia
Tenaga Nasional Berhad operates three hydroelectric schemes in the peninsular with an
installed generating capacity of 1,911 megawatts (MW). They are the Sungai
Perak, Terengganu and Cameron Highland hydroelectric schemes with 21 dams in
operation. A number of Independent Power Producers also own and operate several small
hydro plants.
Sungai Perak hydroelectric schemes, with 649 MW installed capacity:

Sultan Azlan Shah Bersia Power Station 72 MW

Chenderoh Power Station 40.5 MW
Sultan Azlan Shah Kenering Power Station 120 MW
Sungai Piah Upper Power Station 14.6 MW
Sungai Piah Lower Power Station 54 MW

Temenggor Power Station 348 MW

Sungai Terengganu hydroelectric scheme, with 400 MW installed capacity:

Sultan Mahmud Power Station 400 MW
Sungai Pergau hydroelectric scheme, with 600MW installed capacity:
Sultan Ismail Petra Power Station Pergau Dam 600MW
Cameron Highlands hydroelectric scheme, with 262 MW installed capacity:
Sultan Yusof Jor Power Station 100 MW
Sultan idris Woh Power Station 150 MW
Odak Power Station 4.2 MW
Habu Power Station 5.5 MW
Kampong Raja Power Station 0.8 MW
Kampong Terla Power Station 0.5 MW
Robinson Falls Power Station 0.9 MW

Independent hydroelectric schemes

Sg Kenerong Small Hydro Power Station in Kelantan at Sungai Kenerong, 20 MW
owned by Musteq Hydro Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Eden Inc Berhad
Sabah and Sarawak

4.2

Bakun Dam 2400 MW

Batang Ai Dam at Lubok Antu, Sarawak 100 MW
Murum Dam in Sarawak 944 MW (Under construction)
Tenom Pangi Dam at Tenom, Sabah 66 MW

GAS-FIRED

Plant
Connaught
Bridge Power
Station
Genting
Sanyen Kuala
Langat Power
Plant
Karambunai
Power Station

Lumut GB3
Power Station

State
Selangor at Klang

MW
832

Selangor at Kuala
Langat

720

Sabah at Karambunai

Perak at Pantai Remis

Type
Combined
cycle (1 ST,
2 GT), open
cycle (4GT)

Owner/Operator
Tenaga Nasional
Berhad

Combined
cycle

Genting Sanyen
Power Sdn Bhd

120

Open cycle
(4 GT)

Ranhill
Powertron Sdn
Bhd, a subsidiary
of Ranhill Berhad

651

Combined
cycle (1 ST),
open cycle
(3 GT)

GB3 Sdn Bhd, a

subsidiary
of Malakoff

Combined
cycle (6 GT,
2 ST)

Segari Energy
Ventures Sdn
Bhd, a subsidiary
of Malakoff

Lumut Power
Station

Perak at Pantai Remis

1,303

Nur
Generation
Plants

Kedah in Kulim HighTech Industrial Park

220

Paka power
station

Terengganu at Paka

808

Pasir Gudang
power station

Johor at Pasir Gudang

404

Combined
cycle (4 GT,
2 ST)
Combined
cycle (4 GT,
2 ST)
Combined
cycle (2 GT,
1ST)

Nur Generation
Sdn Bhd
YTL Power
International
Berhad
YTL Power
International
Berhad

Petronas
Gas Centralized Pahang (GebengUtilities
Kerteh)
Facilities (CUF)
Port Dickson
Power Station

Negeri
Sembilan in Port
Dickson

324

Cogen(9 GT)

Petronas Gas
Berhad

440

Open cycle
(4 GT)

Malakoff Berhad
Prai Power Sdn
Bhd, a subsidiary
of Malakoff
Tenaga Nasional
Berhad

Prai power
station

Penang at Perai

350

Single shaft
combine
cycle (1 GT,
1 ST)

Putrajaya
Power Station

Selangor at Serdang

625

Open cycle
(5 GT)

Sarawak Power
Generation
Sarawak at Bintulu
Plant

Sepanggar Bay
Power Plant

220

Sabah at Kota
100
KinabaluIndustrial Park

Open cycle
(2 GT)

Combined
cycle
Thermal (2
ST),
combined
cycle (2 GT,
1 ST), open
cycle (2 GT)
Combined
cycle (8 GT,
4 ST)
Combined
cycle (2 GT,
1 ST)[4]

Sultan Iskandar
Johor at Pasir Gudang
Power Station

729

Sultan Ismail
Power Station

Terengganu at Paka

1,136

Tanjung Kling
Power Station

Malacca at Tanjung
Kling

330

Malacca at Telok Gong

440

Open cycle
(4 GT)

Malacca at Telok Gong

720

Combined
cycle (2 GT,
1ST)

Perlis at Kuala Sungai

Baru

650

Combined
cycle

Telok Gong
Power Station
1
Telok Gong
Power Station
2
Teknologi
Tenaga Perlis
Consortium

Sarawak Power
Generation Sdn
Bhd, a subsidiary
ofSarawak
Energy Berhad
Sepangar Bay
Power
Corporation Sdn
Bhd[3]

Tenaga Nasional
Berhad

Tenaga Nasional
Berhad
Pahlawan Power,
a subsidiary
of Powertek
Powertek
Panglima Power,
a subsidiary
of Powertek
Teknologi Tenaga
Perlis
Consortium Sdn
Bhd / Global ETechnic Sdn Bhd

Tuanku Jaafar
Power Station

4.3

Negeri
Sembilan at Port
Dickson

1,500

Combined
cycle (4 GT,
2 ST)

Tenaga Nasional
Berhad

Coal-fired (or combined gas/coal)

Plant
Jimah
Power
Station
Manjung
Power
Station

State

MW

Negri Sembilan at
Lukut

1,400

Perak at Manjung

2,295

PPLS Power
Generation
Plant

Sarawak in Kuching

110

Sejingkat
Power
Corporation
Plant

Sarawak at Kuching

100

Sultan
Salahuddin
Abdul Aziz
Shah Power
Station

Selangor at Kapar

2,420

Tanjung Bin
Power
Station

Johor at Pontian

2,100

Type

Owner/Operator
Jimah Energy
Thermal (2 ST)
Ventures Sdn
Bhd
TNB
Thermal (3 ST)
Janamanjung
Sdn Bhd
PPLS Power
Generation, a
Thermal (2
subsidiary
units)
of Sarawak
Energy Berhad
Sejingkat Power
Corporation Sdn
Thermal
Bhd, a subsidiary
ofSarawak
Energy Berhad
Thermal (6
ST), open
Kapar Energy
cycle (2 GT),
Ventures Sdn
natural gas
Bhd
and coal with
oil backup
Tanjong Bin
Power Sdn Bhd,
Thermal (3 ST)
a subsidiary
of Malakoff

4.4

OIL-FIRED

Plant
Gelugor
Power
Station
Melawa
Power
Station
Sandakan
Power
Corporation
Plant
Stratavest
Power
Station
Tawau
Power
Plant

4.5

State

MW

Type

Owner/Operator

Penang at Teluk Ewa

398

Combined
cycle

Tenaga Nasional
Berhad

Sabah in Melawa

50

4 diesel
engines

ARL Tenaga Sdn

Bhd

Sabah at Sandakan

34

4 diesel
engines

Sandakan Power
Corporation Sdn
Bhd

Sabah at Sandakan

60

4 diesel
engines

Stratavest Sdn
Bhd

Sabah at Tawau

36

3 diesel
engines

Serudong Power
Sdn Bhd

BIOMASS

Plant
Bumibiopower
Sdn Bhd
(planning
approved
2001)
Jana Landfill
Sdn Bhd
TSH Bio
Energy Sdn
Bhd
Potensi Gaya
Sdn Bhd
(planning
approved
2003)
Alaff Ekspresi
Sdn Bhd
(planning
approved
2003)
Naluri
Ventures Sdn

State

MW

Type

Owner/Operator

Perak at Pantai Remis

Steam
turbines

Empty fruit
bunch

Selangor at Seri
Kembangan

Gas
turbines

Biogas

Sabah at Tawau

14

Steam
turbines

Empty fruit
bunch

Sabah at Tawau

Steam
turbines

Empty fruit
bunch

Sabah at Tawau

Steam
turbines

Empty fruit
bunch

Johor at Pasir Gudang

12

Steam
turbines

Empty fruit
bunch

Bhd (planning
approved
2005)
Seguntor
Bioenergy Sdn
Bhd (planning
approved
2007)

Sabah at Sandakan

11.5

Steam
turbines

Empty fruit
bunch

Kina Biopower
Sdn Bhd
(planning
approved
2007)

Sabah at Sandakan

11.5

Steam
turbines

Empty fruit
bunch

Recycle
Energy Sdn
Bhd
(commercial
operation
2009)

Selangor at Semenyih

8.9

Steam
turbine

Refuse-derived
fuel

4.6

HYBRID POWER STATIONS

Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Terengganu with a combined capacity of 650 kilowatts

Two 100 kW wind turbines
One 100 kW solar panels
Two diesel generators capable of 200 and 150 kW respectively

5.

Other Suppliers

5.1

Malakoff Corporation Berhad

Malakoff Corporation Berhad is a Malaysian power company that generates and sells power
as an independent power producer to Tenaga Nasional for uploading onto the National Grid,
Malaysia.
Malakoff generates electricity mainly from two major types of plant; steam turbine thermal
plants and gas turbine plants.
The company owns and operates four power plants:
The Lumut Power Station in Segari, Perak with 1,303MW capacity. Malakoff has
93.75% equity interest in the plant owner Segari Energy Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (SEV).
The Lumut GB3 Power Station in Segari, Perak with 640 MW; with 75% equity in
plant owner GB3 Sdn Bhd.
The Prai Power Station, Butterworth, Pulau Pinang, with 350MW; held through its
wholly owned subsidiary, Prai Power Sdn. Bhd.
The Tanjung Bin Power Station, Tanjung Bin, Johor with 2,100 MW; with 90% share
in plant owner Tanjong Bin Power Sdn. Bhd. (formerly SKS Power Sdn. Bhd).
The company also has equity on two power stations, but the capacity of these plants
are listed under the majority shareholder.
The Port Dickson Power Station, at Tanjong Gemok, near Port Dickson, Negeri
Sembilan - a 440MW open cycle peaking power plant through a 25% equity interest
in Port Dickson Power Berhad, held through Malakoffs wholly owned subsidiary,
Hypergantic Sdn. Bhd.
The Kapar Power Station, Kapar, Selangor - a 2,420 MW coal, oil and gas-fired plant,
with a 40% share.
Malakoff acquired a 50 percent share in the 420MW Australian Macarthur Wind
Farm in 2013.

5.2

Sabah Gas Industries Sdn Bhd

Sabah Gas Industries Sdn Bhd was a state owned holding company based in Labuan,
Malaysia. It was established in 1982 by the Government of Sabah for the downstream
operations of Sabah natural gas resources. The company owned and operated a 660,000tonne per year methanol plant, a 600,000-tonne per year sponge iron factory, and a 79 MW
natural gas-fired power station, all commissioned in 1984 after the gas pipeline from the
offshore gas fields became operational. The industries were supplied by natural gas from
the Erb West and Samarang offshore fields. In the beginning of 1990s, due to financial
difficulties, the company was put for privatization. In 1992, the methanol plant was sold to
Petronas and operates today as Petronas Methanol (Labuan) Sdn Bhd. The power station
was sold to Sabah Electricity. The sponge iron factory was bought by the affiliated
companies of the today's Lion Group. The plant operates today as Antara Steel Mills Sdn
Bhd.

5.3

YTL Power

YTL Power, a subsidiary of YTL Corporation, generates and sell power as an independent
power producer to Tenaga Nasional for uploading onto the National Grid, Malaysia.
YTL Power is the builder, owner and operator of two power plants for a concession period of
21 years following Malaysia's privatisation policy. As the first independent power producer
licensed in Malaysia, its power purchase agreement has the best terms offered, which
include a take-or-pay clause; which requires Tenaga Nasional to pay a guaranteed amount
whether the power is uploaded or not.
In December 2010, YTL Power acquired 30% stake in Eesti Energia's oil shale development
project in Jordan.
The total generation capacity is 1,212 MW.
YTL Power generates electricity mainly from two combined cycle power stations; using both
steam turbine and gas turbine.
The company owns and operates the following power plants with installed capacity of:
YTL Paka power station, Paka, Terengganu - 808 MW
Pasir Gudang power station, Pasir Gudang, Johor- 404 MW

5.4

Powertek Sdn Bhd

Powertek Sendirian Berhad is a subsidiary of Tanjong PLC, generates and sell power as an
independent power producer to Tenaga Nasional for uploading onto the National Grid,
Malaysia.
The total generation capacity is 1,490 MW.
Powertek generates electricity mainly from gas turbine plants. Powertek and its subsidiaries
own and operate three power plants in Melaka, Malaysia with a total installed generating
capacity of 1,490 MW, comprising:
Telok Gong Power Station 1, Telok Gong - 440 MW open cycle gas turbine ("OCGT"),
owned and operated by Powertek Berhad.
Telok Gong Power Station 2, Telok Gong - 720 MW combined cycle gas turbine
("CCGT"), owned and operated by Panglima Power Sdn Bhd.
Tanjong Kling Power Station, Tanjong Kling - 330 MW combined cycle gas turbine
owned and operated by subsidiary, Pahlawan Power Sdn Bhd.

5.5

SESCO Berhad

Sarawak Energy (formerly Syarikat SESCO Berhad or Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation,
SESCO) is the energy company responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution
of electricity for the Sarawak state in Malaysia. It is owned by the State Government of
Sarawak.
Sarawak Energy provides electricity to about 382 000 customers. Over the last four years,
sales of electrical grew at an average of 8 per cent per annum. Sarawak Energy has slightly
over 2000 employees.

SESCO is owned 51.6% by the Sarawak State Government and 45% by the Sarawak
Enterprise Corporation Berhad (SECB). The Corporation's total asset currently stands at
around RM4.0 billion.
Thirty-six power stations with a total installed capacity of 1315MW, comprising 5 per cent
Diesel engine, 25.6 per cent gas turbines, 36.5 per cent coal-fired power plant,25 per cent
Combined Cycle Power Station and 7.6 per cent hydro turbines, are strategically established
throughout the State. The major towns are connected to via a 275/132kV State
Transmission Grid.
SESCO generates electricity mainly from two major types of plant; hydroelectric plants and
thermal plants
Hydroelectric power plants
There is 1 major hydroelectric scheme with installed generating capacity of 100 MW with 1
dams in operation:
Batang Ai hydroelectric scheme, with 100 MW installed capacity:
Batang Ai Dam- 4 x 25 MW = 100 MW.
Thermal power plants
There are 35 thermal power plants and diesel-electric plants with installed generating
capacity of 1215 MW in operation. Selected major plants are:
Tun Abdul Rahman Power Station, Kuching - 46 MW Gas Turbine and 68 MW Diesel
engine.
Miri power station, Miri - 99 MW, Open Cycle Gas Turbine
Bintulu power station, Bintulu- 330 MW, Combined Cycle Power Plant
Tg Kidurong Power Station, Bintulu- 192 MW, Open Cycle Gas Turbine
Sejingkat Power Station, Kuching -210 MW, coal-fired power station (phase II)
Mukah Power Station, Mukah- 2 x 135 MW, Coal Fired Power Station
A notable aspect of SESCO operation is the many small diesel-electric power plants in
isolated areas, some supplied by air at prohibitive cost.

6.

National Grid

Although the year 1953 can be considered the birth year of the Grid System in
Peninsular Malaysia, it was not until early 1970s when the first 275kV transmission circuits
were commissioned and started the rapid expansion of the Grid System. In the late 1980s,
to cater for fast demand growth and the need for a more secure Grid System, 500kV was
chosen as the next transmission voltage level and in 1996 the first 500kV circuits were
commissioned.
National Grid originally taking shape in 1964 when the Bangsar Power Station was
connected to the Connaught Bridge Power Station, with the line subsequently extended to
Malacca. In 1965, a plan was set to connect the electricity generating plants that were
spread out all over the country. Plants identified to be linked were located at Paka in
Terengganu, Temenggor, Kenering, Bersia and Batang Padang in Perak, Connaught Bridge,
Kapar and Serdang in Selangor, Cameron Highlands in Pahang, Perai in Penang, Port Dickson
in Negeri Sembilan, Pergau in Kelantan, Pasir Gudang in Johor and in Malacca. The central
area network with Connaught Bridge Power Station in Klang was the precursor of the energy
grid; it also tapped into the Cameron Highlands Hydro scheme from the Sultan Yusuf Power
Station, and was extended into a western network. Late in the 1980s, the loop was finally
complete with the placement of Kota Bharu within the grid.
The Grid System is also interconnected with power systems of Thailand in the North
and Singapore in the South and both were first established in the 1980s. The
interconnection with Thailand has been upgraded since 1998 from a 100MW AC
Interconnection to 300MW HVDC Interconnection that allows rapid control of power and
energy transactions between two power systems. Although the energy transaction through
the 250MW AC Interconnection with Singapore has always been set to zero, the
interconnection has proven to be of benefit to both power systems in times of emergencies.

6.1

TYPE OF NATIONAL GRIDS TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

Lines Description

Length

500
kV

522 km

275
kV

The single largest transmission system to be ever developed in Malaysia. the

backbone of the transmission system in Peninsula Malaysia

73 km

132
kV
33 kV
POWER GENERATION
Power generation capacity connected to the Malaysian National Grid is 19,023 megawatt,
with a maximum demand of 13,340 megawatt as of July 2007 according to Suruhanjaya
Tenaga. The generation fuel mix is 62.6% gas, 20.9% coal, 9.5% hydro and 7% from other
forms of fuel.
DISTRIBUTION LEVEL
Distribution lines of 33 kV, 22 kV, 11 kV, 6.6 kV and 400/230 volt in the Malaysia distribution
network connect to the National Grid via transmission substations where voltages are
stepped down by transformers.

MALAYSIAS GRID SYSTEM

7.

Electricity Tariff

Electricity pricing (sometimes referred to as electricity tariff or the price of electricity) varies
widely from country to country, and may vary significantly from locality to locality within a
particular country. There are many reasons that account for these differences in price. The
price of power generation depends largely on the type and market price of the fuel used,
government subsidies, government and industry regulation, and even local weather
patterns.

7.1

Commercial
TARIFF CATEGORY

1.

UNIT

RATES

sen/kWh

39.3

sen/kWh

43.0

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month

RM/kW

25.9

For all kWh

sen/kWh

31.2

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during the

peak period

RM/kW

38.60

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh

31.2

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh

19.2

Tariff B - Low Voltage Commercial Tariff

For Overall Monthly Consumption Between 0-200 kWh/month
For all kWh
The minimum monthly charge is RM7.20
For Overall Monthly Consumption More Than 200 kWh/month
For all kWh (From 1kWh onwards)
The minimum monthly charge is RM7.20

2.

Tariff C1 - Medium Voltage General Commercial Tariff

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

3.

Tariff C2 - Medium Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Commercial Tariff

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

7.2

Industrial
TARIFF CATEGORY

UNIT

RATES

sen/kWh

34.5

1. Tariff D - Low Voltage Industrial Tariff

For Overall Monthly Consumption Between 0-200 kWh/month
For all kWh
The minimum monthly charge is RM7.20
For Overall Monthly Consumption More Than 200 kWh/month
For all kWh (From 1kWh onwards)

sen/kWh

37.7

The minimum monthly charge is RM7.20

Tariff Ds Special Industrial Tariff (for consumers who qualify only)
For all kWh

sen/kWh

35.9

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month

RM/kW

25.3

For all kWh

sen/kWh

28.8

The minimum monthly charge is RM7.20

2. Tariff E1 - Medium Voltage General Industrial Tariff

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

Tariff E1s Special Industrial Tariff (for consumers who qualify only)
For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month

RM/kW

19.9

For all kWh

sen/kWh

28.3

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during

the peak period

RM/kW

31.7

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh

30.4

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh

18.7

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

3. Tariff E2 - Medium Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Industrial Tariff

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

Tariff E2s Special Industrial Tariff (for consumers who qualify only)
For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during
the peak period

RM/kW

27.7

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh

28.3

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh

16.1

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during

the peak period

RM/kW

30.4

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh

28.8

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

4. Tariff E3 - High Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Industrial Tariff

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh

17.3

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

Tariff E3s Special Industrial Tariff (for consumers who qualify only)
For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during
the peak period

RM/kW

24.4

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh

26.7

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh

14.7

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

Notes: SIT has a 2% higher increase than normal Industrial tariff in line with the
Government's effort to gradually phase out the SIT subsidy
Mining
TARIFF CATEGORY

UNIT

RATES

sen/kWh

32.6

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month

RM/kW

18.1

For all kWh

sen/kWh

26.8

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during the peak
period

RM/kW

25.5

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh

268

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh

14.7

1. Tariff F - Low Voltage Mining Tariff

For all kWh
The minimum monthly charge is RM120.00
2. Tariff F1 - Medium Voltage General Mining Tariff

The minimum monthly charge is RM120.00

3. Tariff F2 - Medium Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Mining Tariff

The minimum monthly charge is RM120.00

Back to top
Specific Agriculture
TARIFF CATEGORY

UNIT

RATES

sen/kWh

36.9

1. Tariff H Low Voltage Specific Agriculture Tariff

For overall montly consumption between 0 - 200 kWh per month:
For all kWh
The minimum monthly charge is RM7.20
For overall montly consumption more than 200 kWh per month:

For all kWh

sen/kWh

40.3

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month

RM/kW

25.9

For all kWh

sen/kWh

30.0

The minimum monthly charge is RM7.20

2. Tariff H1 - Medium Voltage General Specific Agriculture Tariff

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

3. Tariff H2 - Medium Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Specific Agriculture Tariff
For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during the
peak period

RM/kW

34.9

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh

31.2

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh

19.2

The minimum monthly charge is RM600.00

Back to top
Top-Up and Standby
Co-generator means a generator who uses a single primary energy source to generate
sequentially two different forms of useful energy for its own use at an efficiency rate of
more than 70%. Services offered to co-generators are:
Top-up supply:
The additional supply required by a Co-generator who does not produce sufficient electricity
for its own use.
Standby supply:
The supply that TNB provides to a Co-generator in the event that the Co-generator does not
generate electricity due to plant failure or planned shutdown for maintenance. The Cogenerator has a choice of firm or non-firm supply. Non-firm standby means that TNB does
not guarantee that supply can be given when the Co-generator fails or is shutdown for
maintenance.
TARIFF CATEGORY

UNIT

RATES
Top- Standby
Up

1. Tariff C1 - Medium Voltage General Commercial Tariff

Maximum demand charge per month

RM/kW 25.9

For all kWh

sen/kWh 31.2

14.0

2. Tariff C2 - Medium Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Commercial Tariff

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during the

RM/kW 38.6

14.0

peak period
For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh 31.2

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh 19.2

3. Tariff E1 - Medium Voltage General Industrial Tariff

Maximum demand charge per month

RM/kW 25.3

For all kWh

sen/kWh 28.8

14.0

4. Tariff E2 Medium Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Industrial Tariff

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during the
peak period

RM/kW 31.7

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh 30.4

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh 18.7

14.0

5. Tariff E3 High Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Industrial Tariff

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during the
peak period

RM/kW 30.4

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh 28.8

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh 17.3

12.0

6. Tariff F1 Medium Voltage General Mining Tariff

Maximum demand charge per month

RM/kW 18.1

For all kWh

sen/kWh 26.8

14.0

7. Tariff F2 Medium Voltage Peak/Off-Peak Mining Tariff

For each kilowatt of maximum demand per month during the
peak period

RM/kW 25.5

For all kWh during the peak period

sen/kWh 26.8

For all kWh during the off-peak period

sen/kWh 14.7

14.0

8.

Service Quality

This section covers the performance of customer services of TNB, SESB and NUR, result of
the surveys on customer satisfaction and statistics of complaints received by the
Commission.
Annual Performance Report on Customer Services
Under the license conditions, TNB, SESB and NUR are required to submit annual reports on
performance of customer services to the Energy Commission. These reports cover 15 types
of services. The performance of the three utilities for the last few years are as shown in
Appendix 1, II and III. Based on the reports submitted by TNB, SESB and NUR, it can be seen
that the overall performance in customer services of the utilities is improving.
Complaints Received by the Energy Commission
A total of 201 complaints were received by the Energy Commission in the year 2004. Most
of the complaints were received through the Commission's regional offices and the website.
Table 14 shows the number and types of complaints received in the year 2003 and 2004.
Various efforts were taken by the Energy Commission to resolve the complaints such as
investigation into the complaints, having meetings with the relevant parties and issuing
directives to the utilities etc.

Table : Number and Types of Complaints Received by the Energy Commission in the Year
2003 and 2004

Survey On Customer Satisfaction Level

In the year 2004, a customer survey was carried by Energy Commission on the satisfaction
level
of the services provided by TNB. NUR Distribution Sdn Bhd had also conducted a similar
survey
in KHTP to gauge the satisfaction level of its customers.
Customer Satisfaction Level of TNB
The survey was carried out for about 6 month from July to December 2004 and a total of
1,065 responses were received. Of the total responses received, 512 responses were from
domestic customers while 553 responses were from industrial/commercial customers. The
results of the survey is as shown in Table 16.

Table : Percentage of Customers Satisfied with the Services of TNB

Customer Satisfaction Level of NUR Distribution Sdn. Bhd.

NUR Distribution Sdn. Bhd. had conducted the survey between 11th March and 15th April
2004 by distributing the survey forms to its industrial, commercial and domestic customers.
A
total of 153 responses were received out of 1,501 survey forms distributed. The number of
response from each category of customers are as shown in Table 17.

Table : Number of Responses Received by NUR Distribution Sdn. Bhd. in the year 2004

9.

Power Quality

Power Quality is defined as "the availability of pure voltage sinusoidal waveform at delivery
point".
Power Quality is becoming more important as electrical equipments are increasingly used in
the industrial plant. Besides being sensitive to short voltage fluctuation, this equipment also
produce harmonic which can degrade the power quality in the power system.
Incompatibility between power supply and the industrial equipment can cause maloperation of customer equipment or degradation in the quality of industrial product.
Monetary losses due to power quality problem can be as high as outage problem.

How does it affect you

Loads or customer's equipment determine the appropriate level of power quality. Different
equipment requires different level of power quality.
Power Quality problem is "Any problem manifested in voltage, current or frequency
deviations that result in the failure or misoperation of any electrical equipment and
installation". It can originate internally from customer own electrical system and externally
from utility power system or other customers within the vicinity or due to natural causes.
Major power quality problems are related to voltage dips (or voltage sag), transients and
harmonics.

Addressing equipment operational compatibility

The customer is responsible to ensure that its equipment will perform its function duly in an
electrical environment. This can be achieved via taking step to ensure all the power quality
parameters (or Electromagnetic Compatibility) are incorporated in the equipment
specification and design. On the other hand, the utility is responsible in ensuring acceptable
level of reliability and manage power quality in the electrical environment so that it will not
be degraded.

How to request for higher level of Power Quality

The request for higher level of Power Quality should be forwarded during initial supply
application as it will be incorporated into the overall power system design. The extra cost of
providing such higher level of power quality shall be borne by the customer.

How to handle Power Quality issues

Power Quality problem occurs in every power system around the world. International
standard bodies e.g. IEEE (US), EEE (UK) and IEC (Europe) are producing documents on
power quality guidelines and standards as reference to the power utilities, equipment
manufacturers and equipment users.
The best way to avoid power quality problem is by ensuring all equipments to be installed
are compatible with power quality in the power system. This can be achieved by procuring
equipment with proper technical specifications that incorporate power quality performance
of its operating electrical environment. Background power quality survey should be done in
order to obtain better information on the existing power quality parameters.

Recommended steps to troubleshoot Power Quality issues

Step1:
Record the dates & times of the disturbance. Take voltage measurement (if necessary,
for suspected under/overvoltage cases).
Step2:
Check when the problem normally occurs i.e. at certain times of a day or at random.
Step3:
Identify components that are frequently affected.
Step4:
Refer to TNB for data correlation to identify the types/sources/causes of the
disturbances. Provide voltage measurement (if available).
Step5(a):
If the types/sources/causes are unknown, install power quality monitoring equipment.
Diagnose the new data recorded.
Step5(b):
If the types/sources/causes originated from TNBs system, TNB will implement
mitigation measures to minimize the occurrence of the same problem again. Some of
the problems may mitigated by rearranging the supply reticulation or by improving its
protection philosophy.
Step6:
If the types/sources/causes are known, discuss with equipment manufacturers for
minimizing the emission of the disturbances or improve the immunity of the equipment.
Step7:
Implement mitigation measures.

10.

Conclusion

Malaysia enjoys ample electricity supply. The national utility company, Tenaga
Nasional Berhad (TNB), supplies power to Peninsular Malaysia, while in East Malaysia, the
Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) and the Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation (SESCO)
provide power to the States of Sabah and Sarawak respectively.
Transmission voltages are at 500 kV, 275 kV and 132 kV while distribution voltages
are 33 kV, 22 kV, 11 kV and 415/240 volts.
TNB also offers electricity packaged under the thermal generation assets and hydrogenerated schemes for the benefit of certain industries that require multiple forms of
energy for their processes.
Power generation capacity connected to the Malaysian National Grid is 19,023
megawatt, with a maximum demand of 13,340 megawatt as of July 2007 according to
Suruhanjaya Tenaga. The generation fuel mix is 62.6% gas, 20.9% coal, 9.5% hydro and 7%
from other forms of fuel.

11.

References

http://www.tnb.com.my/suppliers/srm.html
http://www.tnb.com.my/business/for-industrial/pricing-tariff.html
http://www.tnb.com.my/business/for-commercial/pricing-tariff.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Power_companies_of_Malaysia

http://www.tnb.com.my/business/malaysian-grid-code.html
http://www.tnb.com.my/about-tnb/history.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Grid_(Malaysia)
The Malaysian Grid Code.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Grid_(Malaysia)