Source: Buletin Mutiara

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) is on the brink of completing the monopole transmission tower project set to transform Penang’s energy landscape. The ambitious undertaking involves the installation of an 8.5-kilometer overhead transmission line across state waters, running parallel to the iconic Penang Bridge, slated for completion by end of the year.

This project, comprising 31 monopoles, including six adorned with distinctive designs resembling the Penang palm, promises not only to bolster the island’s power supply but also to emerge as a new tourist attraction, adding to Penang’s unique charm.

Speaking to reporters, TNB’s State General Manager, Datuk Ismail Lathifi Teh, highlighted the significance of the RM500 million investment, aimed at ensuring a sustainable energy supply to fuel Penang’s future development.

The construction, currently 62% complete, encompasses a series of milestones, with three standard monopoles already erected and plans for six landmark towers with Penang palm motifs reaching a soaring height of 100 meters by May 2024.

The project’s scope extends from Perai, traversing the Penang Bridge to Batu Uban and culminating at a site near The Light, owned by the Malaysian Ministry of Defense.

Ismail Lathifi outlined the project’s four main components, including the expansion of existing power stations in Perai, the construction of a new Main Intake Substation (PMU) at The Light, and infrastructure connections linking the Perai Power Station to the PMU at The Light.

Before this initiative, Penang’s power supply relied on aging infrastructure, including a 90kV underwater cable and a 275kV cable beneath the Penang Bridge, both approximately four decades old. With the forthcoming overhead transmission line, TNB anticipates retiring the Gelugor Power Station, redirecting its resources toward future energy support.

Ismail Lathifi emphasized TNB’s commitment to meeting Penang’s growing energy demands, driven by burgeoning sectors like technology, transportation, and industrial zones such as Bayan Lepas. He stressed the vital role of this project in ensuring a robust and reliable power supply, essential for the state’s economic growth and investment attractiveness.

As Penang gears up for transformative projects like Silicon Island and the Bayan Lepas-George Town light rail transit, TNB’s electrification efforts stand poised to power the state’s journey toward a sustainable and vibrant future.