Bakun Dam
| Bakun Dam | |
|---|---|
The dam under construction in June 2009
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 Location of Bakun Dam in Malaysia
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| Location |
Sarawak Malaysia |
| Coordinates | 02°45′23″N 114°03′47″E / 2.75639°N 114.06306°ECoordinates: 02°45′23″N 114°03′47″E / 2.75639°N 114.06306°E |
| Construction began | 1996 |
| Opening date | 2011 |
| Owner(s) |
Federal Government of Malaysia State Government of Sarawak Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd (Operator) |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment, concrete face rock-fill |
| Impounds | Balui River |
| Height | 205 m (673 ft) |
| Length | 750 m (2,461 ft) |
| Spillway type | Service, controlled stepped chute |
| Spillway capacity | 15,000 m3/s (530,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Bakun Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 43,800,000,000 m3 (35,500,000 acre·ft) |
| Catchment area | 14,750 km2 (5,695 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 695 km2 (268 sq mi) |
| Power station | |
| Turbines | 8 × 300 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 2,400 MW |
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Website www.bakundam.com |
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The Bakun Dam is an embankment dam located in Sarawak, Malaysia, on the Balui River, a tributary or source of the Rajang River and some sixty kilometres west of Belaga. As part of the project, the second tallest concrete-faced rockfill dam in the world would be built. It is planned to generate 2,400 megawatts (MW) of electricity once completed.
The purpose for the dam was to meet growing demand for electricity. However, most of this demand is said to lie in Peninsular Malaysia and not East Malaysia, where the dam is located. Even in Peninsular Malaysia, however, there is an oversupply of electricity, with Tenaga Nasional Berhad being locked into unfavourable purchasing agreements with Independent Power Producers. The original idea was to have 30% of the generated capacity consumed in East Malaysia and the rest sent to Peninsular Malaysia. This plan envisioned 730 km of overhead HVDC transmission lines in East Malaysia, 670 km of undersea HVDC cable and 300 km of HVDC transmission line in Peninsular Malaysia.
Future plans for the dam include connecting it to an envisioned Trans-Borneo Power Grid Interconnection, which would be a grid to supply power to Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, and Kalimantan (Indonesia). There have been mentions of this grid made within ASEAN meetings but no actions have been taken by any party. Bakun Dam came online on 6 August 2011.
As of 2015, Bakun Dam is the biggest dam in Southeast Asia.
Initial survey was conducted in the early 1960s and more studies were conducted in the early 1980s. The studies cover the masterplan and feasibility report, rock and soil studies, hydro potential, detailed design and costing, environmental and socio-economic studies and HVDC transmission studies. Notable consultants involved were SAMA Consortium German Agency for Technical Cooperation,Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation and Maeda-Okumura Joint Venture, Fichtner and Swedpower Swedish Agency for Technical Cooperation.
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