The rate of Forest loss in Borneo..

Found this interesting online mapping tool to show the rate of deforestation in past decade. Sabah and Sarawak has such alarming rate in Borneo.

TONIBUNG launched Micro Hydro training course at CREATE - Centre for Renewable Energy and Appropriate TEchnologies

TONIBUNG have launched micro hydro training course catered for community technicians since June 2013. The training course involves theory and workshop sessions at CREATE in Kg. Nampasan Penampang, Sabah. All the trainees also undertake on the job training working on actual Micro Hydro projects in Kg. Tiku, Penampang and Long Lamai, Baram. The training course is divided to 5 modules namely Feasibility studies and design, Civil Works, Electrical, Mechanical and Operations and maintenance.

TONIBUNG's training program at CREATE is supported by our long term partner, Green Empowerment based in Portland, Oregon and funded by National Geographic Society The Great Energy Challenge program. This ongoing training training course will continue to 2014 and will cover other renewable energy technologies such as Solar PV, Wind and Biomass.

TONIBUNG welcomes any interested parties to partner with us or to fund our initiative to provide training for indigenous communities in Borneo through the training program at CREATE. we also able to set a special sessions for interested groups and individuals on Renewable energy. TONIBUNG have also embarked in Micro Hydro turbine assembly with Penampang Renewable Energy Sdn. Bhd. and Era-Wira Sdn. Bhd. to manufacture and assemble turbines to cater for growing demands at CREATE. 

Two of CREATE's trainees on the job training 

Trainees work with community during Gotong royong at Long Lamai

Trainees install butterfly valve on the Long Lamai penstock pipe

working with community to pour the concrete trust block

Patrick (2nd right) our Project Manager posing with villagers at Long Lamai 

TONIBUNG Centre for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technologies CREATE exhibition at HoB

TONIBUNG CREATE conducted exhibition on Renewable Energy during the Heart of Borneo (HoB) conference on 11-12 November 2013. TONIBUNG exhibited Hydro-Solar Hybrid system and Solar-Wind Hybrid system apart from posters and pictures of community based micro hydro project that was implemented by TONIBUNG in Sabah and Sarawak.

we also presented the community based micro hydro project as one of the Forever Sabah Solutions to protect Sabah's natural resources. the HoB conference was attended by over 750 participants from different sectors. the conference is hosted by the Sabah Forestry Department and was officiated by Sabah Chief Minister DS Musa Aman.

Giving briefing to Sabah CM and SFD director on the Micro Hydro Solutions

SEAREPA..Moving green, local energy forward in Southeast Asia

Bario Asal Micro Hydro.. 4 years on and still going strong

It have been 4 years now when we first revived the Failed 17 million Ringgit Bario micro hydro project that was abandoned for more than a dacade when it met its premature demise in 1997. In 2007 the community of Bario Asal and Arul Layun came together and decided to do something and they did it. With our technical support and grants from UNDP SGP, Seacology Foundation and much later Sarawak Development Office, this abandoned micro hydro system came back into life in 2009. The system have been providing electricity 24/7 to Bario Asal and Arul Layun long house ever since with minor disruption during dry season.

The community Operators (engineer kampung) have been doing a great job to maintain and operate this system and hopefully for many more years to come. This project have shown that:

1) community can do it if given the chance and proper guidance 

2) The project cannot be that expansive - 17 million??, cost to revive system this is only RM 400,000 

3) Trust the local knowledge - we used buffaloes to transport most of the equipment to the Dam. who said we need to build 5 star roads??

For me i owed and learned a lot from the Kelabit community of Bario Asal and Arul Layun. i have seen pure determination and innovativeness of the community to overcome challenges that encountered in their lives. This lessons that I learnt have been used in many other Micro Hydro project after Bario. I just hope our government learn for thier mistakes and not repeating the costly mistake they made in 1997 and learn from Bario Asal- Arul Layun how to do community driven project.

My initial discussion with the Project Committee in 2007 explaining about the proposed plan to revive the abandoned micro hydro system

Re-enginnering the distribution system. we did not use the high voltage transformers because of maintenance issues.  high voltage is very dangerous and needs full time special trained  technician to handle which we don't have in Bario.

Our proud operators (Engineer Kampung) that we trained to operate and maintain the system

Peter Paran Mattu showing the pressure gage indicating the kinetic power contained in those pipes

we also integrate a hammer mill that can be connected directly to the turbine. this mill can produce high quality Bario Rice Flour to make my favorite Bario bread..yummy!

I am posing with my Team from Sabah, Toumin Sipail from Kg Terian (left) one of my first kampung engineer Kg Terian operating thier Micro Hydro since 2005 and Vyner Biujin (centre) a young Mechanical Engineer from Penampang.

My favorite moments.. Jugah dancing to the music after we first turned the system on. 

I tribute this project to the my adopted Father, the late Ketua Kampung Balang Radu. he is our driving force behind this project. His first words to me when we started this project "i want to see the lights on before i die..". iam glad that his wish came true. he passed on few months after we commisioned the micro hydro system. Tama, may you rest in peace. 

News article on Babalitan Micro Hydro

Kg.Babalitan Community Micro Hydro Launched!

Finally the community micro hydro in Kg Babalitan have been launched offcially on 10th October. This latest addition to the community micro hydro projects that we have successfully implemented is now lighting up 400 odd villagers of this Murut Tagol community. This is the fifth micro hydro in this remote Pensiangan district od Sabah bordering Kalimantan Timur in Indonesia. This project is funded by Ranhill Powertron Sdn Bhd. through thier CSR program. Officiating the ceremeony were Nabawan State Assemblymen Datuk Bobbey Suan together with Ranhill CEO Pn Norlian, Sabah Energy Cooperation CEO Datu' Harun and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd. General Manager Ir Abd Razak.

Datuk Bobbey Suan unveiling the signboard of the project

Iam giving briefing to Datuk Bobbey Suan and Datu's Harun of Sabah Energy Cooperation about the micro hydro system

Pn Norlian, Ranhill Powertron CEO in a symbolic handing over of the Micro Hydro system to Kg Babalitan headman En Isawan Soroi during the simple ceremony at the long house witnessed by Datuk Bobbey (centre), Ir Abd Razak (second right) and Datu' Harun (right)