A FIRE at the Tanjung Bin Energy (TBE) Power Plant in Pontian last night destroyed 70 percent of the facility’s flue gas desulfurisation (FGD) system and chimney tunnel, in what authorities described as a major industrial incident.
Senior Fire Operations Commander, Assistant Fire Superintendent Mahadir Mamat, said the Pontian Baru Fire and Rescue Station led the response, dispatching 22 personnel from three stations, including Pontian, Pekan Nenas and the Benut Volunteer Fire Brigade, after receiving a distress call at 8.22pm.
“The overall extinguishing operation was carried out in two sectors to contain the blaze. It was supported by 10 members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and six port fire personnel from Tanjung Bin using two fixed monitors,” he said in a statement today.
Firefighters managed to bring the situation under control without any reported casualties.
Mahadir confirmed that the fire devastated around 70 percent of the FGD section, which plays a crucial role in reducing sulphur emissions from the plant's operations.
He added that monitoring and follow-up action have been handed over to plant operator Malakoff and the facility’s internal emergency team.
The cause of the fire and estimated damage costs are still under investigation.- October 3, 2025
