The official project opening took place on December 20, 2010, and we’ve received a final report from project partner Institut Pribumi Malaysia Sarawak. In-kind support and services for the implementation of the project were provided by a variety of nongovernmental and community-based organizations, and Mudung Abun villagers contributed labor in the tradition of gotong royong (community self-help). The system is now providing 20 kilowatts of renewable energy a day for the community, eliminating the use of polluting fossil fuels. The community totally protected the catchment area of the Abun River; all destructive human activities are prohibited. The community has also planted numerous indigenous tree species, as well as some fruit trees within the watershed and along the banks of the Dangang and Abun Rivers. This project has improved the living conditions of the community by saving money previously spent on fuel for generators and giving women more time for activities such as handicrafts. The community is more interested in conserving the watershed and forest areas, since the forest is the source of power for the village.

The major components of the micro hydro project have been completed; works at the weir/dam and the forebay sites have been completed, the penstocks have been laid to the powerhouse and the construction of the powerhouse has been completed. Additionally, the turbine and the generator in the powerhouse have been installed and the test run for the turbine was carried out for an hour and the system is working well. Currently the village is working on connecting the main electrical cable lines to the longhouse and wiring individual houses. The project should be fully completed within the month.

The project contact reports that the micro hydro project in Mudung Abun is progressing well. The construction of the forebay has been completed and the weir is under construction.