Sunday, 6 June 2010

Kuala Belait - To mark the ongoing Energy Day celebration, car stickers and leaflets on energy savings tips were distributed in the Belait District yesterday morning.

The event was jointly organised by the Energy Division at the Prime Minister's Office, the Petroleum Unit and the Department of Electrical Services. The guest of honour at the event was the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Energy) Awang Haji Ismail bin Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Setia Dato Paduka Haji Hashim.

In his speech, the Deputy Permanent Secretary said, "Belait District will once again record history as it enters the green revolution by generating electricity with the Tenaga Suria Brunei project which is expected to complete in July this year. Once it is completed, the project will be the largest scale photovoltaic installation project in the Asean region."

He added that the project has a total capacity of 1.2-megawatt which is able to power up 200 homes in Seria. Apart from that, it is also able to save 340 kilolitres of crude oil and reduce about 940 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually once the solar power project starts generating electricity.

"The historical project is located at the Seria power station which is also the first gas station in the country. The Tenaga Suria Brunei is a project demonstration to identify photovoltaic panels which are the most appropriate and suitable for Brunei Darussalam's weather," said the Deputy Permanent Secretary.

"The large-scale solar energy project is Brunei's first major initiative to search for an alternative to generate electricity and reduce dependency on oil and gas," he added.

"Efforts towards efficiency energy uses and savings should be carried out continuously and not seasonally, therefore Brunei's Government through the Energy Division at the Prime Minister's Office is pledging to continuously turn energy savings as the Bruneian's culture and lifestyle," he said.

At the event, the Belait District Officer Awang Metussin bin Orang Kaya Sura Haji Tuba also gave a welcoming speech and lauded efforts by the Energy Division to raise awareness on excessive energy consumption and inevitably let the public realise the valued importance of the energy utilised every day.

The guest of honour then officiated the event by attaching energy conservation stickers on vehicles and distributing leaflets to passing motorists at the Belait waterfront park yesterday morning. Similar event will be carried out at the Tutong District on June 7 and in Temburong District on June 8. This year's theme is 'Value Our Precious Energy' while still maintaining the same slogan of 'Change Matters'.

By Liza Mohd
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin