Brunei Darussalam recorded one of the highest electricity consumption rates in the region, reaching 8,000 kWh per capita in 2021, compared to 5,000 kWh in neighbouring Malaysia.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof addressed queries on energy efficiency during the 21st Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday.
He emphasised the need to enhance energy efficiency and conservation in both electricity supply, particularly generation systems, and user convenience, which remains a priority for the Department of Energy.
Since the introduction of the Unified Smart Metering System (USMS) in 2022, real-time monitoring has enabled users to track their energy consumption.
The Energy Efficiency (Standards and Labelling) Order, 2021 (SLO 2021) has also restricted the import and sale of inefficient electrical appliances since 2023. The government is leading efforts to promote energy efficiency in consumption through energy management initiatives and the installation of solar panels in government buildings. Regarding generation system efficiency, the current national electricity system operates at approximately 28 per cent efficiency. A new phase by the Department of Electrical Services (DES) and Berakas Power Company Sdn Bhd, expected to be completed between 2027 and 2028, will introduce combined-cycle gas technology to raise efficiency levels to 35 per cent. The country aims to achieve 50 per cent generation efficiency by 2035.
On power outages, the minister noted that most power plants and grid networks have been in operation for over 30 years, making them vulnerable to disruptions. This affects power supply reliability indicators such as the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) and the System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI). The SAIDI index, which measures average power outage duration per customer, improved from 310 minutes in 2013 to 13 minutes in 2022 – among the best in ASEAN.
However, asset integrity challenges in 2023 caused an increase to 80 minutes, before recovering to 40 minutes last year.
While network disruptions remain a major factor, improvement programmes under the National Development Plan (RKN) and the DES’ annual work plan are ongoing, focusing on system upgrades and gradual replacement of ageing power plants to meet the 50 per cent efficiency target by 2035. To strengthen energy security, alternative energy sources are being prioritised, aligning with Brunei’s goal of increasing renewable energy capacity to at least 30 per cent of the national energy mix by 2035.
Efforts are underway to transform Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah into a centre for Islamic heritage, including training on digitising manuscripts and archival materials.
The initiative ensures the preservation of original manuscripts, some dating back centuries. In 2023, a chronology workshop and training session was conducted in collaboration with Universiti Brunei Darussalam, involving academics with expertise in manuscript research. – Fadhil Yunus
