KUCHING, May 9 — Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg has described the state as a rising tiger in the renewable energy arena and is opening its frontiers to help traditional industries become more sustainable.
With hydrogen being one of the sectors that it intended to develop, he said the State Government had specifically highlighted renewable energy as a cornerstone to its 10-year development plan, which is the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“PCDS 2030 is more than just our internal blueprint to shape our economy. It is a multi-faceted approach towards long term economic, social and environmental sustainability; built upon our aspirations for collaboration with policy makers and private sectors both within and beyond our humble island,” he said.
In his keynote address for the World Hydrogen 2022 Summit and Exhibition that he attended in Rotterdam, Holland today, he said Sarawak is ready to embark further into hydrogen economy as it had abundant resources, sufficient infrastructure and expertise, as well as supply and value chains.
“With concerted effort, real initiatives, Sarawak is sending a clear message across the world (that) we want Sarawak to be a region for clean, green investment. We want global low carbon industries serviced by Sarawak supply chains,” he said.
Abang Johari said Sarawak is currently Malaysia’s largest provider of renewable energy for a population of almost three million for the State and part of Indonesia, where 70 per cent of the total generation mix is from hydropower resources, which in turn could be harnessed to produce low carbon hydrogen.
“This provides an ideal setting to enable hydrogen economy in Sarawak and research study was initiated as a pioneering step to explore, innovate and produce green hydrogen as a solution for commercial and public application,” he said.
He said in 2018, Sarawak Energy Berhad, the State power utility company, had successfully commissioned Southeast Asia’s first integrated hydrogen production plant with 130kg per day production capacity and refuelling station to cater up to five buses and 10 cars per day.
“With this pilot hydrogen facility, Sarawak is a step towards building a green energy future for the transportation sector for Sarawak and the Asia Pacific region. It has now served as a refuelling station for Sarawak’s first hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.
The State Government’s development and investment agency, SEDC Sarawak is also collaborating with Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre (AMIC) to develop biofuels, green hydrogen and fuel cell for aviation or Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Abang Johari said alternative aviation fuels such as SAF could be the key to sustainable air travel, contributing hugely to the industry’s emissions-reduction strategy and net-zero emissions goal.
“With recent advancements in hydrogen fuel cell for aviation, particularly recent developments in drones, I envision that soon hydrogen fuel cells could be fuelling up hydrogen powered helicopters,” he added. — Bernama
