Old Hydro Plant in Selangor

Located at Ulu Pangsun, at the foothills of Gunung Nuang, the mini hydro plant is the second oldest in the peninsula and the oldest in Selangor until it ceased operations in 2001. Ulu Langat mini hydroelectric plant is believed to have come about in the early 1920s when the tin mines sprouted up in Kuala Lumpur. According to early records, the beginnings of the Ulu Langat plant could be traced back to Cornishman George Simms, a prospector who ran the Sungei Besi Mines Ltd. Simms was said to have scoured the hills of Ulu Langat on horseback to look for streams to power a hydroelectric station after hearing about the successes of other mines using hydroelectric power. After overcoming strict government regulations, the Sungai Besi Mines was granted a 42-year licence to operate the power plant, with the condition that the government had the first option to purchase the excess electricity. Upon the plant’s completion, electricity was supplied through 29km of transmission lines running through the jungles. In 1933, the government bought over the plant for 200,000 pounds (RM1.1 million). When the Japanese Army invaded Malaya in 1941, all power stations were ordered to be destroyed under the retreating British Army’s “scorched earth” policy. The Ulu Langat stations were also incapacitated during the war, only to be rehabilitated when the British returned. #hydro #malaysia #heritage