Sunday, 26 June 2016
Ray of hope for Pulau Besar
Beaming with pride: Monopole towers with lights across the Strait of Malacca.
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MALACCA: Twelve monopole towers with beaming lights across the Strait of Malacca are now the most visible symbols of the country’s technological advancement.
The ray of hope for the mystical island of Pulau Besar comes courtesy of Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s (TNB) RM32.5mil overhead transmission line.
The monopole project from Pantai Siring to Pulau Besar was completed six months ahead of schedule in February 2015.
The ambitious project is also a global catalyst for Malacca Government to spearhead its vision of establishing a one-of-a-kind, Islamic Civilisation Theme Park at the island that is popular for spiritual fulfilment and myths.
The project, jointly developed by TNB and State Development Corporation will provide 24-hour power supply to the island.
TNB state general manager Datuk Baderul Sham Saad said the monopole project was a pioneer endeavour for Malaysia.
He noted that overhead transmission lines could generate a maximum grid supply of up to 5 MW by 2020.
He said transmission was commissioned at 11kV to complement the present need and could be increased based on future needs.
Baderul said the transmission line could also be upgraded even up to 132kV without changing the towers.
With the electrification project, the Malacca Government is planning to revive tourism and religious related activities at Pulau Besar, an isle in the shape of a pregnant woman, which is rich with historical elements.
Work on the supply line that started in November 2013, will also transform Pulau Besar, with a land mass of 129.64ha into one of the state’s main tourism products.
Noting that the state-of-the-art project was in fact the TNB’s first in the country, Baderul said a dedicated team including engineers, supervisors and workers has been living offshore on barges anchored on the sea surface to oversee the works and troubleshooting.
“Work such as piling, installing the foundation and erecting the towers went well despite occasional thunderstorms and adverse weather.
“The team has been working hard to ensure power supply to meet the island’s needs,” he added.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said the state government was looking forward to the project’s completion as the island which was synonymous with divine wonders would be further developed to attract international tourists.
“We are targeting 10% of the global Muslim population of close to 1.8billion when we unveil our Islamic Civilisation Theme Park.
“The proposed park would showcase all the deeds of prophets through innovative designs and architectural motifs, providing the similar products available in other theme parks,” he said.
In addition, Idris said the project was capable of reviving the island to its glorious past where all the previous abandoned projects would be resurrected.
He said the geographic landscape of the island was deemed suitable to be transformed into a great tourism product for the state.
Idris said the lush greenery canopy of the island would also be an attraction for eco-tourism and nature lovers, apart from offering water sport recreation.
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