Mukah coal power station

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Mukah coal power station is an operating power station of at least 270-megawatts (MW) in Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Mukah coal power station Mukah, Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia 2.968499, 112.323865 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

  • Unit 1, Unit 2: 2.968499, 112.323865

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name Status Fuel(s) Capacity (MW) Technology Start year
Unit 1 operating coal: unknown 135 subcritical 2009
Unit 2 operating coal: unknown 135 subcritical 2009

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name Owner Parent
Unit 1 Sarawak Energy Bhd [100%] Sarawak Energy Bhd [100.0%]
Unit 2 Sarawak Energy Bhd [100%] Sarawak Energy Bhd [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

  • Coal source(s): Mukah-Balingian region

Background

The Mukah coal power station consists of two 135 MW coal-fired generating units, both of which were commissioned in 2009 in Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia.[1] The plant consumes about 1.2 million tons of coal per year, sourced from the Mukah-Balingian area. The Mukah plant cost 950 million Malaysian ringitts, equivalent to approximately 230 million USD, and was financed by RHB Islamic Bank Bhd.[2]

In June 2023, Sarawak Energy stated that Mukah coal power station would be decommissioned "after 2030".[3]

PPA

Mukah Power Generation is a power producer incorporated to construct, own, operate, and maintain the 270 MW power station under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Syarikat SESCO Berhad (SESCO) – a wholly owned subsidiary of Sarawak Energy and Mukah Power Generation’s sole off-taker. The PPA will expire on January 15, 2034. To boost its financial performance, Mukah Power Generation inked a new PPA with SESCO, which took effect on January 1, 2018.[4]

Local Opposition

A December 2021 narrative article discussed the environmental, social, and public health risks around coal-fired power production in Malaysia. One quote reads: "Matek Anak Geram, a land rights activist from Persatuan Sarawak Dayak Iban (SADIA), says that the indigenous communities living close to the Mukah Power Plant and Balingian Power Plant face many health problems, such as cancer, tuberculosis, asthma, and birth defects. He alleges that the health problems are caused by air and water pollution from coal burning. “Sudden deaths” had happened because residents didn’t know they had health issues until it was too late to seek help. Living in rural areas means they have limited healthcare access."[5]

Articles and Resources

References

  1. Mukah Coal Power Plant Malaysia, Global Energy Observatory, accessed May 18, 2021
  2. Coal-Fired Power Plants in Malaysia, Power Plants Around the World, August 29, 2010
  3. Malaysia's Sarawak Energy plans 400MW floating solar capacity by 2030, Reuters, June 27, 2023
  4. RAM upgrades Mukah Power Generation’s sukuk rating to AA1(s), The Borneo Post, November 29, 2019
  5. "Coal Can Be Costly—Who's Paying?", Macaranga, December 22, 2021

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.