Surbana Jurong wins again with feasibility study contract for extension of Sarawak’s Bakun hydropower plant

SMEC’s Hydropower & Dams Group has been awarded Sarawak Energy’s contract to conduct the feasibility study and tender design for an extension of Bakun Power Station.

Following the completion of the pre-feasibility study last year, SMEC, a member of the Surbana Jurong Group, was appointed again for this project to provide an in-depth analysis on the possibility of increasing the existing hydropower scheme capacity, without interrupting the operation of the existing power plant and without drawing down the reservoir level.

In the pre-feasibility report, it was suggested that a 300MW extension was possible by constructing a 1.2km-long, 8.5m-diameter headrace tunnel through the dam’s right abutment to a new underground power station. The new power station will have a single 300MW generator unit that will utilise the redundant 12m-diameter diversion tunnels of the existing scheme as the new tailrace.

SMEC’s project team will review the pre-feasibility study and confirm the development option for the extension. Other services to be provided include a Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study, concept study report, basis of design for civil, electrical and mechanical aspects, tender design report, tender specification and drawings, training of client personnel and generic specification for SCADA, communications, controls and protection.

The project win is due to the team’s familiarity with the geological site conditions and ability to field a project team consisting mainly of engineers who have previously worked on the existing 2,400MW Bakun Power Station or other hydropower projects in Sarawak.