Sabah’s inaugural 10MWac large-scale solar (LSS) plant is set to commence commercial operations at the end of this month, aiming to alleviate power shortages in certain areas of the state.
Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) CEO Mohd Yaakob Jaafar announced this development, emphasizing its importance for promoting green and renewable energy in the region. The LSS plant, occupying approximately 16 hectares, will feature an array of 24,672 solar panels, collectively generating 10MWac of clean electricity from the sun.
This initiative is expected to significantly bolster Sabah’s power grid reserve margin, which currently stands at 12.1%. Yaakob stressed the importance of addressing frequent power shortages, which lead to load shedding due to grid capacity shortfalls. He believes the LSS plant will enhance the grid’s reserve margin during peak demand periods.
SDK Power Sdn Bhd (SPSB) was one of the 10 bidders awarded the contract under the LSS1 and LSS2 schemes. They signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with SESB in August 2021. Yaakob expressed his excitement during a recent visit to the SDK Power LSS plant, highlighting its status as the largest solar power project in Sandakan. He stated that this project demonstrates SESB’s dedication to achieving Sabah’s renewable energy objectives and supports the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).
Moreover, Yaakob mentioned that the remaining nine developers from the LSS1 and LSS2 schemes are expected to join the Sabah grid incrementally, with completion anticipated by June 2024.
 plant is set to start operating at the end of the month, improving the state's power grid reserve margin and addressing frequent load shedding issues.){kind=link}