From: hcleong@iti.gov.sg (Leong Heng Cheong (Sch 10/92))
Subject: Blackout in Singapore and West Malaysia
Organization: Information Technology Institute, National Computer Board, Singapore.
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 13:50:50 GMT


Source: The Straits Times, Singapore, Sept 30, 1992

I. SINGAPORE

Fire at Senoko station causes 13-hour blackout
----------------------------------------------
Power was restored to all areas in Singapore last night, about 13 hours
after a fire caused the Senoko Power Station to shut down, creating
widespread disruption.

A spokesman for the Public Utilities Board (PUB) said last night that
electricity was restored to all the affected areas by about 10pm.

At the height of the power failure, Singapore lost more than half its
power output, or 1,600 megawatts of electricity, said the spokesman.  As
a reference, the whole of Ang Mo Kio used only 60 megawatts of
electricity at peak periods.

The area affected by the power failure included Tuas, Jurong, the Pioneer
Road area, Marsiling, Mandai, Bukit Timah, Pandan, Buona Vista, Telok
Blangah, the Orchard Road area, Upper Thomson, City, Aljunied, Bedok,
Hougang, Punggol, Serangoon and Sembawang.

The PUB spokesman gave three reasons why power was restored to all
affected areas:

*  The low demand for power after office hours

*  The stepping up of power output at the three other main stations in
   Pulau Seraya, Jurong and Pasir Panjang; and

*  The revival of one of the seven generators in Senoko and another in
   Pulau Seraya which was undergoing routine maintenance.

But the PUB appealed to the public to conserve electricity today to help
them cope with peak demand during office hours.

It cautioned that it would take a few days for Singapore to receive its
normal supply.

The PUB spokesman said the Senoko fire was caused by an electrical
short-circuit at one of two switch-gears at the switch room in the
station. The switch-gears relay power from the generators to
sub-stations, where it is then channelled to the customers.

Witnesses said they heard several explosions soon after the fire broke
out at about 9.20am.

Establishments not spared
-------------------------
* Hotels

Emergency meetings were held after guests were assured that everything
was in order that there was no fire.  The hotels' standby generators
could only meet minimum needs, resulting in air-conditioning being cut
and minimum lighting in rooms and public areas.

Most of the major hotels in the Orchard Road area escaped the blackout.

* Shopping Centres

Shopping complexes could not open on time because the stores did not have
air-conditioning or sufficient light.  However, many retail outlets were
ready for business by noon.

* Cinemas

Batman returned to Capitol Theatre for the 1.30pm show after power was
restored at 12.15pm.  The 11am show had to be cancelled as the theatre
does not have its own back-up generator.

Cinema-goers at some theatres with standby generators, like Jade 1 and 2,
also suffered.  Movies were screened but the air-conditioning were down.

* SMRT

MRT subway services suffered only a slight delay.  The north-south line
was hit by a four-minute service delay at 9.13am.  MRT suffered minor
disruption because it has alternative power supplies from a number of
sub-stations, including one in Bishan Deport.

* Changi Airport

THe airport experienced a dip in voltage at about 10am this morning.  But
its power supply was not disrupted at any point.  A spokesman said normal
airport operations were maintained throughout.



II. WEST MALAYSIA

Massive power failure hits West Malaysia
----------------------------------------
A massive power failure hit most parts of Peninsular Malaysia yesterday
after lightning damaged the Telok Kalong sub-station at Kemaman in
Terengganu.

Energy, Telecommunications and Posts Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu
said this caused the tripping of the national grid and disrupted power
supply from mid-afternoon to all states except Kelantan, Perlis and
Terengganu.  About 80 per cent of Malaysia's 18 million people live on
the affected main penisula.

PUB: Not Singapore's fault
--------------------------
The New Straits Times, a Malaysian newpaper, yesterday quoted an unanmed
Malaysian source attributing the power failure in malaysia to Senoko's
link to the Sultan Iskandar power station in Pasir Gudang, Johor.

THe NST said a generator in the Johor station tripped after Singapore
sought and was given power following the Senoko breakdown.

But a PUB spokesman told The Straits Times that it made no such request
after the fire hit the Senoko station in Sembawang.

She said that Singapore's power failure did not affect the blackouts in
malaysia, adding that the power supplies of each country ran
independently of each other, although Senoko and the Johor station are
linked by land and submarine cables.

She also pointed out that both power failures happened at different times
and if they were related, Malaysia's blackout [at 3pm] would have
followed Singapore's almost at once.


    &&               * Leong Heng Cheong                                 *
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