Bakun Dam

The Bakun hydroelectric project ( Bakun Hydroelectric Project) is a dam on the Balui River, a tributary of the Rajang on the island of Borneo in Sarawak, Malaysia. The project was set in 1994 by the then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad in motion. The main part of the project is a large, 20 -meter-high dam, a rockfill dam, which in any relationship which will be largest but by international standards. The planned power generation capacity is 2400 MW.

The construction costs should be 2.4 to 4 billion U.S. dollars. Originally, it was planned for completion in 2003, had been delayed until 6 August 2011.

History

Initial studies on the construction of a dam were carried out in the region of the Bakun dam already in the 1960s. In the 1980s, then further tests were carried out.

Start of construction: 1994
Beginning of the initial filling: October 14, 2010
Completion of the initial filling: April 28, 2011
First electricity production: August 6, 2011

Disadvantages

For the dam gave way 9000-10000 indigenous people from five ethnic groups and longhouse communities. Although the dam construction is delayed, they were resettled between 1998 and 1999 according to Sungai Asap, 30 kilometers away from the dam, involuntarily. By the lake go 230 km ² of tropical rain forest lost. It is expected to increase in diseases such as schistosomiasis, Opisthorchiose, malaria and filariasis. The gene pool of various local grain and plant species is endangered. In addition, there is concern that sediment deposits will reduce the usable storage space and the useful life of the dam. Also a possible failure of the dam was feared.

Purpose

The purpose of the dam is to meet the growing demand for electricity. However, this demand is mainly on the western peninsula of Malaysia before, not in East Malaysia, where the dam is located. Original plans involved to consume 30 % of the electricity produced in East Malaysia and to conduct the remainder, according to other sources up to 90% of the peninsula. This plan called for 668 km transmission lines, 643 km submarine cable and 458 km of cable on the peninsula.

Originally, the dam of a joint venture between Ekran Berhad, Tenaga Nasional Berhad ( TNB ), the government of Sarawak, Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation should ( Sesco ), and Malaysia Mining Corporation Bhd (MMC ) to be built. The operator should be private, owned by Ekran society Bakun Hydroelectric Corporation Berhad ( BHC ). Ekran with Ting Pek Khing was its chairman rights out to finance the project, but it was underfunded and so Ekran had to pay $ 500 million instead of the not awarded shares. The main contractor for the construction work had been Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), Comphania Brasileira de Projetos e Obras and Dong Ah of South Korea.

Interruptions, delays and design changes

In November 1997, the project was interrupted because of the " Asian crisis ". The Malaysian government withdrew from the consortium of the project. At this time, RM 1.6 billion had already been spent ( Malaysian Ringgit ) to Global Upline ( a company owned by Ting Pek Khing ) to remove biomass from the storage space for a cofferdam, and for resettlement. In addition, eight turbines had already been bought for RM 1 billion.

In 2000 the project was revived. The power line to the peninsula was no longer included. The performance of the hydropower plant was reduced to 700 MW. A new consortium led by Sime Engineering Berhad was founded. The old Consortium ( BHC, Ekran, Dong Ah and others) received 250 million from tax revenues as compensation. The new completion date was September 2007. Probable total amount that should be paid to the consortium, was 1.8 billion RM.

In May 2004, Ting Pek Khings Global Upline got a contract to remove biomass from the storage space. This would have allowed him to beat without special permission wood there. These permits are now subject to restrictive political and environmental conditions.

To use electricity for an aluminum plant in Similajau, Bintulu was planned, about 180 kilometers from the dam. This is a joint venture between Dubai Aluminum Co, Ltd ( Dubal ) and Gulf International Investment Group ( GIIG ). Through the work of 50 % of the electricity generated should be used. The Government has approved that 60 % of Sarawak Hidro, the owner of the dam, will be sold to GIIG. Because of the delays in dam construction and the plans for the aluminum plant have been postponed. Future plans include a connection to a power supply, the power to Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, and Kalimantan (Indonesia) to deliver.

So far have been made with the project only losses. Today it is considered Bakun to build again in the original size further. The project is intended to infringe a number of guidelines of the World Commission on Dams ( World Commission on Dams, WCD).