$500m worth of energy can be saved annually

BRUNEI can make energy savings worth around half a billion dollars per year, the Centre for Policy and Strategy Studies (CSPS) revealed yesterday at a forum to discuss the results of an energy study by a Japanese consultancy and how Brunei can formulate policies towards achieving Vision 2035.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) measures proposed by the Mitsubishi Research Institute (MRI) could see a 'groundbreaking' saving of approximately $500 million per year, said CSPS.

The consultancy presented the preliminary interim findings of their six-month long study commissioned by the centre in a recent closed door stakeholder's forum which suggests that comparative scenarios of 'Business As Usual' versus 'EEC implemented measures' for energy consumption and efficiency could see a 56 per cent reduction in total energy consumption.

"These are groundbreaking statistics," said an officer at the CSPS facility who declined to be named, but reminded that these statistics are estimates and should be treated as such.

According to a press release from the CSPS, executive director of the centre, Dato Paduka Dr Hj Ismail Duraman, emphasised that "at the end of the day, the findings of the consultants (are) highly dependent on the reliability of the data provided by stakeholders and the inputs of the stakeholders within the forum".

The release also states that three other main findings were concluded in MRI's mid-term interim study results (see graphics) which show current significant losses in the generation, transmission and distribution of power at a staggering 76 per cent, compared to losses in Japan of only 53 per cent.

MRI's preliminary results also show that if the current level of energy use is sustained, with no energy efficiency measures implemented, the figure will increase by twice as much.

Energy savings of "some 56 per cent can be achieved with mere technological measures proposed by the MRI consultants, specifically through more efficient air-conditioners, fuel-efficient vehicles, and improvement of power generation efficiency, amongst others", stated Dr Diana Cheong, senior researcher at CSPS.

Cheong also said that the adoption of top-down government policies and regulations are meant to "encourage an EEC conscious culture and practice which should be observed not just by the individual consumer, but the government itself, private sectors, industries and businesses", and would effectively help to further increase the estimated 56 per cent reduction.

Hans J Rauhudt, Manager and General Manager of the Berakas Power Management Company (BPMC), was present at the forum and said that although the statistics were impressive, it really was just an estimate.

Asked if BPMC would be looking to take on some of the EEC measures suggested by MRI, Rauhudt said the company would definitely try to implement any efficiency measures where possible but the Berakas Power Station, which is currently operating with a 30 per cent efficiency rate, is at its maximum capabilities to do so with the gas powered turbines.

Rauhudt said the figure is actually satisfactory in regards to gas-powered turbines but did admit that combined turbine systems could increase this efficiency rate, albeit at a heavy financial cost.

The study, according to Cheong, which is looking specifically into issues of energy use and conservation is intended to help Brunei achieve its goals for the Wawasan 2035 (Vision 2035).

She was previously quoted as saying, "To achieve the goals of Wawasan 2035 ... we calculated that (Brunei) needs to have a growth of six per cent per annum, (and) we definitely cannot carry on business as usual in terms of our economic activities (if we are to achieve this)".

Tetsuya Enomoto, MRI's consultant for its Energy Strategy group from the Environment and Energy Research Division, had previously said that there was an imminent need for this study to be done as "frankly, in this country, energy (is) not that efficiently used and this is a (problem) because energy is much cheaper here than other countries, it's heavily subsidised".

The Department of Electrical Services (DES) has also previously revealed that national electricity consumption by Brunei's roughly 400,000 residents is approximate to a country with one million residents.

The sentiment for a call to action was also echoed in the responses from attending government officials and various agency representatives who, according to the CSPS press release, "variously proposed for (the) consideration of measures such as the introduction of appropriate tariff and subsidies, electrification of public transportation, EEC regulations especially for businesses and industries" as well as touting energy conscious and green building codes and EEC awareness education. A roadmap will address these issues on a general level according to CSPS, due for completion by the start of 2011.

Participants at the forum, according to CSPS, had described MRI's findings as "impressive and very satisfactory" and had called for implementation and action from the government and relevant agencies, "to ensure that benchmark data presented by MRI (was) not lost and is utilised by relevant government agencies in terms of energy policies".

However, "many were concerned that the benchmark data and measures proposed by the CSPS study would only remain as a research report, with very little attention from relevant agencies". The Brunei Times