@ green | January-February , 2021

Sarawak Bakun Dam .

Sarawak ’ s green hydrogen push attracting investors from Europe and the US

BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN

paying off with many potential foreign investors keen to participate in the sector .

The interest pouring includes those from Europe and the US . Many of them have been scouting for areas to either source for green hydrogen or to set up regional hubs for hydrogen-related businesses .

Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari Openg said these potential investors saw the State was already ahead in commitment to clean hydrogen development .

“ Many countries would like to tap onto the green hydrogen economy . But due to inaccessibility to renewable power sources like our hydropower dams , the cost for them to embark on this will be even more expensive .

They will have to build the infrastructure for renewable energy sources before they can even build a green hydrogen plant ,” he told @ green .

“ We are confident that with our proactive effort in developing the hydrogen economy , by the time the global hydrogen economy has reached mass adoption , Sarawak will be among the leaders in the industry and technology .

“ This will , in turn , contribute to our GDP , provide stable and high-income employment , and create economic prosperity .”

Abang Zohari said the zero-carbon hydrogen economy to be developed in Sarawak would play an essential role in the supply and use of an environment-friendly , sustainable source of energy , which at the same time contribute to economic prosperity through the global export market .

“ Around the globe , hydrogen is enjoying unprecedented momentum , with the number of policies and projects around the world expanding rapidly .

“ Sarawak aspires to participate actively in this new frontier and use this opportunity to scale up technologies and bring down costs to allow hydrogen to become widely used , through collaborations and partnerships with global technology partners .”

On Oct 13 , 2020 , Sarawak announced the Sarawak

Sarawak ’ s sixth Chief Minister , Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari Openg is committed to embracing sustainable Renewable Energy ( RE ) and protecting the environment .

Abang Zohari ’ s vision was to establish an emission-free public transportation system , the State government began exploring alternatives such as hybrid , fullyelectric and hydrogen-powered buses .

Considered to be a genuinely zeroemission alternative , the Sarawak government opted and successfully established hydrogen fuel cell buses . Subsequently , the State began to venture into the green hydrogen economy .

Abang Zohari , who was appointed Chief Minister on Jan 13 , 2017 , is passionate in Sarawak ’ s pursuit of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and non-renewable resources . The State is gradually embracing green energy with RE resources , and he believes that it will drive the economy forward .

Abang Zohari elaborates to @ green on Sarawak ’ s commitment and participation in RE development , including the Economic Strategy Plan 2030 .

Could you provide some insights into the new initiatives the State will introduce to allow private RE investment participation ? The Sarawak Economic Action Council ( SEAC ) was established early this year to formulate the Sarawak Government ’ s Post-Covid-19 Exit Economic Strategy up to 2030 . Under SEAC , the RE sector ’ s aspiration is to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for Sarawak by 2030 as South East Asia ’ s powerhouse through affordable , reliable and renewable energy .

On top of reaffirming large hydro as a primary RE source , Sarawak will promote private sector participation in RE investment through three RE resources : solar , mini-hydro and oil palm biomass renewable energy . Next year , the State will open up competitive bidding for Sarawak ’ s first large scale solar project , which is 50MW floating solar located at Batang Ai Hydro reservoir . This will give opportunities to private players to participate in the bidding process .

Under the 12th Malaysia Plan ( 2021-2025 ), Sarawak plans to incentivise home solar rooftop installations , which will benefit households from reduced electricity cost under the Net Energy Metering ( NEM ) scheme . This solar rooftop project will further support the deployment of solar PV through private investment . The State also aspires to achieve more than 15 per cent RE