COMMENTARY


High voltage electric transmission tower


displacement, compression buckling or torsional twisting.


Thefts on transmission steel components are commonplace in Malaysia—and perhaps in other countries in Southeast Asia too—as the metals value highly in the market. Missing components can cause instability or even tower failure, which is highly dangerous when falling over properties or a parallel power line— incurring repair costs, causing damage, economic loss or even casualty.


WHAT’S NEXT? Power transmission projects are vital for the power sector, but projects across Malaysia do encounter delay, and this has been exacerbated by the movement control order (MCO) 3.0, which started on 1 June 2021. The list of challenges above is not exhaustive, but it is safe to say that RoW, technical problems and logistics are the most common ones.


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One solution is perhaps to enhance the capability of the existing transmission line to carry heavier loading. High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission is said to be more efficient than High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC), due to the less required cross- sectional area for cables, which means less required RoW space.


Nowadays, HVDC transmissions are gaining relevance in long distance and renewable energy integration projects. Optimisation of transmission line by using HVDC will definitely benefit the industry, but, like many other sectors navigating the impacts of COVID-19, the current priority of the power sector is mainly on critical works. Construction of infrastructure related to electricity are still allowed to continue during MCO 3.0, but this is based on the order of importance. For example, as of 8 June 2021, TNB has rescheduled 2,000


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