Australian expert shares pumped hydro insights with Sarawak

The Malaysian state of Sarawak is the country’s largest renewable energy provider. And with immense solar, energy storage and hydro power potential, the government of Sarawak has now set its sights on becoming a regional renewable energy hub.  

In January, Australian National University expert, Professor Andrew Blakers, joined representatives from the Australian High Commission Malaysia and Australia’s Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) initiative on a visit to the state at the invitation of state-owned utility company, Sarawak Energy. 

Professor Blakers is part of the ANU research team that developed the Global Pumped Hydro Atlas, which has identified some 1,000,000 potential sites worldwide for cost-effective pumped hydro energy storage (PHES). PHES is currently the world-leading form of energy storage technology, accounting for 97% of global energy storage. It plays a critical role in balancing the inherent variability of solar or wind generated power – essentially by storing excess power for use at a later time. 

Discussions with Sarawak Energy and the state’s Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication focused on how investing in PHES and floating solar could help Sarawak achieve its renewable energy ambitious. Sarawak, with its abundant sunlight and existing hydropower resources, is ideally suited for PHES and solar. It could also generate far more solar power than it can use, so is well-positioned to supply the region.  

Professor Blakers, who is globally renowned for his expertise in PHES and solar photovoltaic technology, shared how “solar is becoming the cheapest option for new energy generation, including for Sarawak. By the end of 2030, its installed capacity globally will be more than coal, gas, nuclear, and hydro combined. Solar is doubling in global installed capacity every 3 years!”  

As Sarawak Energy’s Chief Executive Officer of SEB Power, Bunyak Lunyong, noted: “Sarawakians have vast experience in hydropower and we can use this knowledge for deploying PHES, which is cost effective, sustainable, and has low environmental impact.” 

Australia has much it can share with Sarawak and the region in this area, not just through experts like Professor Blakers and initiatives such as P4I, but also because of the country’s domestic experience and position as a global solar pathfinder. PHES is now used at 3 major hydropower facilities in Australia, with planning and construction of more large-scale PHES underway, including New South Wales’ Snowy 2.0, Queensland’s Pioneer Burdekin, and Tasmania’s ‘Battery of the Nation’.