KOTA KINABALU: Fifty-seven high-impact power supply projects in Sabah and Labuan have been approved under the 11th Malaysia Plan with an allocation of RM2.3 billion.

Fifty-six projects were to be carried out in Sabah while one was for Labuan.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said 41 projects costing RM1.4 billion had been executed.

He said nine new projects worth RM371.11 million were developed by the Sabah Special Project Planning and Delivery Unit (Sapadu) in Sabah and Labuan.

"The ministry has also allocated RM1.4 billion to develop 35 projects, but only RM64,505,887, or 4.6 percent of the budget, has been used.”

Ongkili had on Monday chaired the Sabah Electricity Supply Special Committee Meeting at the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) office.

Present were representatives of SESB, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department, Sabah Economic Planning Unit and Energy Commission.

Ongkili said RM1.177 billion had been allocated for seven on-loan projects under SESB.

Only 9.17 percent of the allocation was used, he said.

Ongkili said the ministry was monitoring high-impact projects to reduce the System Average Interruption Duration Index in the state.

"There have been delays in some projects due to issues concerning infrastructure and land acquisition.

"However, the authorities are doing their level best to overcome these problems to ensure power supply projects can be executed to improve Sabah's index and reduce interruptions.”

He said the ministry was expediting completion of the projects, stressing all angles had to be taken into consideration.

"For instance, in Tawau, the index is satisfactory, but the number of interruptions is still high" he said.