Sarawak energy continues with research programme for greater sustainability standards

KUCHING: Sarawak Energy (SEB) will continue its research into the environmental aspect of hydroelectric dams in line with its commitment towards high standards of sustainability, said its executive vice president of Corporate Services Aisah Eden.
She said Sarawak Energy was working closely with institutions of higher learning and hydropower sustainability specialists to ensure that the state's utility company was meeting the global sustainability standards and expectation.
"Sarawak Energy is committed to develop clean and renewable energy in the state and developing hydropower in accordance with the internationally accredited sustainability principles covering the four pillars of sustainability in economic, technical, social and environmental aspects of the project," Aisah said at the opening of the Biodiversity and Ecology Seminar held at Menara Sarawak Energy here recently.
Findings of the research, she said would enable Sarawak Energy to address any emerging concerns as well as to demonstrate to its globally based customers of its commitment and ability to deliver truly green and sustainable energy for their businesses.
She said results from the research would also facilitate in decision-making for future sustainable project development.
Aisah said Sarawak Energy foresaw more opportunities for research collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).
Besides collaborating with institutions of higher learning, she said, Sarawak Energy had also engaged an internationally recognised hydropower sustainability specialist, Dr Helen Locher, together with experts from the International Hydropower Association to conduct a review on phase one of the Hydropower Environmental Sustainability Programme end of last year.
The one-day seminar was jointly organised by Sarawak Energy and Unimas to present the findings of their collaboration into studies of aquatic and terrestrial ecology and biodiversity under the Hydropower Environmental Sustainability Programme.
A total of seven papers were presented during the seminar.
Among them were on water and sediment quality in relation to aquatic fauna; macroinvertebrates fauna of three major rivers; two man-made reservoirs and distribution of heavy metals in the environment. — Bernama