Chenderoh Dam: A Catalyst for Development in Perak
Perak has long been a state rich in natural resources. These yields made Perak one of the wealthiest and earliest states to embrace modernization in the country.
In this article, we touch upon the construction of a dam that drove industrial progress in Perak. This is the historical story of the Chenderoh Dam in Kuala Kangsar. The Chenderoh Dam, also known as the Chenderoh Power Station, is located at Tasik Chenderoh, approximately 30 kilometers from Kuala Kangsar.
This dam was built in the mid-1920s as a hydroelectric power scheme for the Kinta Valley region and was considered the largest construction project in the Malay Peninsula at the time. The Chenderoh Dam is the oldest hydroelectric dam and power station in Malaysia.
The construction of this dam cost approximately 3.5 million pounds sterling and was built by the firm Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co. Half of the total construction cost was borne by the British Government through a loan scheme, and the British Government also held shares in the Perak Hydro-Electric Company (also known as Perak Hydro). Under this scheme, the company was able to obtain a large amount of capital without increasing service charges. The British Government also provided financial guarantees to investors who injected capital into the company.
This guarantee was announced to the public after being requested by the British Parliament to ensure transparency. The company was also required to provide electricity generated from the Chenderoh Dam to both small and large mining companies. Furthermore, Perak Hydro did not have full control over the operation of the Chenderoh Dam for a period of 80 years. The government had the power to take over the dam after 50 years. Due to the construction of the dam, the water level of the Perak River rose by 60 feet. This formed a lake extending 10 miles from the dam. Some land areas above the dam were submerged, but the affected areas were relatively small due to the steep riverbanks and sparse population settlements. The dam measures six hundred and forty feet in length and eighty feet in width at its widest point at the base. The dam was built using methods favored by engineers of that era.
However, in several respects, the structure of the Chenderoh Dam differs from popular dam construction designs. Instead of retaining water using the weight of the dam itself, the Chenderoh Dam was built with a slope facing the lake. The pressure from the lake water makes the dam's base structure even stronger. It is supported by several 18-foot-high walls behind the dam slope, built using reinforced concrete. A backup power generator using additional steam energy, capable of generating 5,000 kilowatts of electricity, was also installed as a support system in case the dam faced floods or droughts. The dam was built in a curved shape, and its curvature was precisely calculated. This allows water to overflow from the dam during major floods by flowing down the slope toward the constructed spillways. For normal floods, it is managed by opening two steel sluice gates, measuring fifty-one feet wide and sixteen feet long, located in the middle of the dam. It is capable of releasing 60,000 cubic feet of water per second and prevents the water level from rising more than two feet above the danger level, except in the event of extraordinary floods.
The power plant at this dam consists of two turbine generators, each capable of generating 9,000 kilowatts of electricity. It became the main energy source for the Kinta Valley, which had the highest number of tin mines in Perak. The energy produced by the Chenderoh Dam was also able to supply electricity as far as Batu Gajah, Kampar, and Tanjung Tualang. In April 1929, a strike occurred by dam workers due to a misunderstanding regarding wage cuts. Despite facing several obstacles, the construction of the dam was successfully completed, and it was officially opened on June 28, 1930, by Sir Hugh Clifford, who was the British High Commissioner to Malaya at the time.
With the completion of the Chenderoh Dam, Perak's hope of having sufficient electricity for industrial development was finally realized without the need to continuously destroy forests to obtain wood for steam-powered electricity generators. This dam was also part of the government's plan to address the flooding problems that frequently plagued several areas in Ipoh.
