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Tawau geothermal power plant ready by May 2016 BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

Tawau geothermal power plant ready by May 2016

Posted: 28 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: The University of Auckland and Tawau Green Energy Sdn Bhd (TGE) have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the development of Malaysia's first geothermal energy industry in Tawau.

During the signing ceremony which was held in Auckland, New Zealand recently, Managing Director of TGE, Ramzi Raad and Dr Andy Shenk of the University of Auckland agreed to facilitate the provision of the university's expertise in geothermal training and research. The University of Auckland is one of the leaders for applied research and training in geothermal energy.

The MoU was for the two parties to forge a collaboration for the Geothermal Resource Centre (GRC) being set up by TGE in Tawau as part of its development project and supported by the Federal and Sabah State Government.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili.

The collaboration will enable the Geothermal Resource Centre to develop its capacity building for the Malaysian geothermal energy industry. It will also provide specialist training in all aspects of geothermal energy including applied geosciences, steamfield design, power plant technology, power plant engineering and design, operations and maintenance, environmental compliance etc and also to provide a platform for local universities and institutions of higher learning to collaborate with foreign institutions with expertise in all aspects of geothermal energy.

The centre will also run seminars, short courses and other training programmes for Malaysian engineers and scientists keen to involve themselves in this new field of renewable energy. It also encourages local and foreign universities to collaborate on joint-research activities on the Apas Kiri Geothermal field.

TGE is developing Malaysia's first geothermal power plant at Apas Kiri, Tawau, which will deliver 30MW of electricity to the Sabah State Grid in May 2016. Drilling operations are expected to commence at the end of April 2014.

Ongkili hoped that with the setting up of the GRC, Malaysia's human capital and expertise in the geothermal energy field would be strengthened.

"This is especially so as we want to promote use of renewable energy and reduce our dependency on fossil fuel. Currently renewable energy accounts for 0.85% of our country's energy mix and we hope to increase that to 5.5% in the nearest future," he said.

TGE is also expected to enter into similar arrangements with other universities in the near future.

Ongkili, who led a delegation on an official trip to New Zealand, also visited the Wairakei combined flash and binary geothermal power plant, and the Ngatamariki binary geothermal power plant, both located near Taupo, with their respective geothermal fields being part of the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ).

The minister and his delegation were briefed by Contact Energy and Mighty River Power, the operators of the respective power plants, on the design, operation and maintenance, and environmental compliance of the power plants. Geothermal power plants currently contribute about 15% of New Zealand's total energy needs.

Using the latest technology, the power plants optimise power plant and operating staff efficiencies. The 82MW Ngatamariki plant needs only one operator per shift for its operations.

The delegation also visited ODINN, the drilling rig contracted to undertake the drilling operations for the project. It is owned and operated by the Iceland Drilling Company (IDC) and is a 1,300hp hydraulic rig which has had a successful track record both in Iceland and New Zealand.

The rig will soon be disassembled, packed and shipped to Tawau. IDC will provide a turnkey package for the drilling operations, including rig and accessories, drilling crew, materials and consumables.

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Do not try, police warn would-be intruders

Posted: 28 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST

by Elton Gomes. Posted on March 1, 2014, Saturday

PENAMPANG: The Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and security forces are ready to face any groups that wish to threaten the sovereignty of the country, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib.

He said the police and security forces would act accordingly against any individual or group who tries to incite disorder or intrude into the country, as what had happened in Lahad Datu last year.

"This is a warning. Do not try to cause chaos or underestimate our security forces as we are always ready to face any threat to protect our country.

"We have the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), the Royal Malaysia Navy, the Royal Malaysia Army, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the RMP and security forces, so we are ready to defend our country from any threats," he said yesterday.

Hamza said this in respond to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar who verified that a senior leader of a Sulu group is planning an attack on Sabah.

In the statement, Khalid said the individual was also believed to stake a claim on Sabah, as what had happened last year by a group of foreign militants in Lahad Datu.

The individual however claimed that his group was not associated with the same group who tried to invade Tanduo, Lahad Datu on February 12 last year.

Hamza said such information (threats to Sabah) had been received by security forces after the end of the Tandua incident, but no foreign group had successfully made any attempt.

"Police will take all information, especially when it comes to the security of our country, seriously and we will investigate.

"At the moment, the police are keeping an eye on the individual (senior leader of a Sulu group) who is planning to come to Malaysia to meet a political leader.

"As far as I am concerned, this individual can enter Malaysia legally as Malaysia is a free country and we do not stop people from coming into our country.

"But if anyone tries to cause chaos or threats, we will not hesitate to take stern action," he said.

Hamza said this at a press conference after launching 'Unit Rondaan Bermotosikal' (URB), Phase II, at Taman Suria, here yesterday.

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Ranau to host Asian Paragliding C’ship

Posted: 28 Feb 2014 09:40 AM PST

by Amy Dangin. Posted on March 1, 2014, Saturday

KOTA KINABALU: The Lohan Paragliding Park in Ranau is set to host the 2nd FAI Asian Paragliding Accuracy Championship (FAPAC), which is the second largest event in paragliding accuracy category after the World Paragliding Accuracy Championship, from March 12 to 19.

Organised by Malaysia Gliding Association and the Kinabalu Paragliding Club with the acknowledgement of the Federation Aeronotique Internationale (FAI), the Lohan Paragliding Park in Ranau has been selected to host the championship due to its unique features.

Out of the 26 countries invited to take part in the championship where the winner will be crowned the best pilot in Asia, 12 had confirmed their participation namely, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Republic of China, Qatar, and host Malaysia.

Countries of the world's top paragliding pilots, Slovenia and Serbia, will also be taking part in the championship.

Some 100 pilots from the participating countries will be competing in the championship, which will be judged based on 12 rounds of landing accuracy.

In a press conference held at the Grand Borneo Hotel here yesterday, FAPAC 2014 Competition director cum vice president of Kinabalu Paragliding Club, Major Haznain Ngamil, disclosed that seven pilots, including five Sabahans, would be representing Malaysia.

"In the first FAPAC held in Taiwan in 2012, Japan was the winner of the championship and this year, we are putting high hopes in our national team for the gold medal," he said.

Lohan, said Haznain, had been acknowledged by FAI, the world governing body of air sports, aeronautics and astronautics world records based in in Lausanne, Switzerland, as the second best site in the world for paragliding accuracy competition, after Turkey.

"This is due to the features that Lohan possesses over the easy accessibility of take-off and landing zones, all-year-round of consistent wind speed and direction, enabling paragliding activities to be conducted throughout the year," said Haznain.

The only criteria lacking to beat Turkey as the first paragliding spot in the world, he added, were infrastructural facilities.

"But this will soon change as works to upgrade the Lohan Paragliding Park are already underway with funds from Tourism Malaysia," he said.

FAPAC 2014 chairman cum president of Kinabalu Paragliding Club Tengku Datuk Seri Dr Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahmood pointed out that Sabah, in paragliding, is the "fastest growing state in Malaysia," having hosted three other international paragliding events as well as seeing some 900 tourists trying out tandem paragliding in the past three years.

"Since 2011, 922 domestic and international tourists had tried out tandem paragliding, whereby 364 were from last year alone, although we started out with only 36 in 2011.

"This is not only good for encouraging this type of air sport, which is the safest of its kind, but also for the tourism industry in Malaysia and most importantly for Sabah," said Zainal.

The press conference yesterday was also attended by director of Tourism Malaysia Sabah, Sani Sham Ahmad.

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It’s never my intention to pull out routes to Sabah – AirAsia boss

Posted: 28 Feb 2014 09:38 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: Low cost carrier, AirAsia, is here to stay, its chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, said yesterday.

His statement refuted earlier claim that AirAsia would cease operations in Sabah should the airline be forced to move to Terminal 1 of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

"Following my recent press conference held in Kota Kinabalu and a recent report claiming I had threatened to pull out AirAsia routes to Sabah, I would like to clarify that it was never the case, and it is not my style.

"I have also been accused of being arrogant for such statements. I would like to put the record straight — I have always been very committed to developing Sabah as a hub.

"We have a very strong relationship with Sabah tourism, and we are constantly engaging with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, the Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun and Sabah Tourism Board general manager Datuk Irene Charuruks to further explore growth opportunities for Sabah for the past 13 years; Sabah remains key to me and also a very important hub for AirAsia," he told reporters in Sepang.

He reiterated his point that it is critical for AirAsia to remain in Terminal 2 at Tanjung Aru where the passenger service charge (PSC) is RM32.

"If we are forced to move to Terminal 1 where the PSC is significantly higher at RM65, it will affect our ability to offer low fares and in turn cause diminishing demand from the public, lowering passenger traffic into the state.

"We appeal to the mass market where RM30 makes a huge difference in their decision to fly or not. A large number of our passengers travel as families, so paying the higher passenger service charge would be a burden to them," he said.

Fernandes added that if demand drops due to the increase, it will make the routes unprofitable which will result in the possibility of route suspensions.

"This is the reason I am pushing Malaysia Airports, the Sabah Government, and the Federal Government to either make Terminal 2 an LCC terminal or build a new low cost terminal," he stressed.

He said that Sabah is one of the reasons AirAsia exists and "we will never abandon Sabah." But the harsh reality is, no one will want to fly with rising costs.

"People who know me know that I have zero arrogance and I am very open for discussions."

According to Fernandes, AirAsia has great plans for Sabah and the airline had invested greatly in developing new routes out of the state and adding more flight frequencies for the benefit of tourism in Sabah.

"We also have plans to have AirAsia X to be based in Sabah, for us to better contribute to higher passenger arrivals into the state and help create jobs and economic development.

"We are committed to developing Sabah, especially KKIA as one of our major hubs in Malaysia. We are not planning to leave but instead look forward to more expansion in Sabah," said Fernandes.

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Sabah committed to supporting foreign policy – Musa

Posted: 28 Feb 2014 09:38 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: The State Government is committed to supporting Malaysia's foreign policy, and the country's active role in international relations for the benefit of the nation as a whole.

The emphasis in the pursuit of Malaysia's foreign policy objectives takes into account a wide range of concerns, including maintaining peaceful relations with all countries regardless of ideology and political systems and adopting an independent, non-aligned, and principled stance in regional and international diplomatic affairs.

Malaysia, according to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, also works to forge close relations and economic partnerships with all nations, particularly with ASEAN and other regional groupings, and helps to promote peace and stability in the region through capacity building and conflict resolution measures.

"We, however, acknowledge that implementing foreign policy is not as simple and as straight forward, despite mechanisms in place for cooperation, understanding and conflict resolution. Most of the time, foreign policy work involves complex and challenging tasks against a backdrop of a dynamic environment and challenging world politics.

"Nonetheless, I am confident that Malaysia's Foreign Affairs Ministry is always prepared to respond to any changes affecting the world and foreign relations. By doing so, it is able to ensure that Malaysia's sovereignty and national interests are adequately protected, and our views and positions are well articulated in the international arena," he explained.

Speaking to delegates of the 8th Heads of Mission Conference (HOMC) during the welcoming dinner here last night, Musa said he hoped the Foreign Affairs Ministry would work closely with the relevant ministries and agencies to establish workable terms of reference in implementing Malaysia's national interests, and also coordinates marketing and branding strategies for the country abroad.

He stressed that this proactive approach has been successful in making Malaysia a respected nation on the global front.

Musa said that as the global society moves towards advanced development, countries cannot opt to isolate themselves.

"Nations depend on each other to prosper and to grow the economy, and with that improve living standards of their citizens. Each nation has its respective vision and medium to long term plans, but it will be difficult to achieve our aspirations if we fail to forge ties or to cooperate with other countries, especially with those we share borders with," he said.

On another development, Musa believed the Heads of Missions here can play a significant role in promoting Malaysia in general, and Sabah in particular as destination for both investors and tourists.

"Sabah's economic agenda focuses on agriculture, tourism and manufacturing as engines of growth and we are also in the process of transforming our economy into one that is more diversified and driven by knowledge and innovation.

"The state's scenic attractions ranging from ocean-deep to mountain-high, coupled with a rich and diverse cultural heritage, have turned the State into an increasingly popular tourist destination. Our commitment to continuously safeguard the environment is also a plus point in efforts to further develop eco-tourism which attracts a specialized group of travelers.

"Our unity in diversity is our strength, making Sabah a role model for the 1Malaysia concept. We live in peace and harmony despite the diversity in race, religion and cultures that exist in various communities throughout the state," he said.

He also hoped that the conference would provide the delegates the opportunity to discuss and clarify matters that are of concern to participating countries, and assist them to foster better understanding and relations, which can then be shared with the respective host governments during their missions.

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Sabah woman wanted in Kapit police investigations

Posted: 27 Feb 2014 11:49 AM PST

KAPIT: Kapit police are anxious to contact a Sabahan woman identified as Rubiah binti Ratag, with identity card 810606-12-5452, whose home address is listed at Kampung Gas, Jalan Batu Sapi 90000, Sandakan,
Sabah.

Her Kapit address was No. 33 Kampung Baru, 96800 Kapit, Sarawak.

Police are seeking Rubiah's help to assist in a criminal investigation case filed earlier in Kapit.

Any member of the public who knows the whereabouts of Rabiah is requested to inform the police, or investigating officer Inspector Mohamad Nazri Daheri attached to the Criminal Investigation Department.

He can be contacted at 019 819 6900.

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