@ green | January-February. 2026

� APGH 2026 held its first press conference and Industry Engagement Day, centring on turning hydrogen ambitions into bankable projects by addressing financing gaps, infrastructure readiness and technology maturity.

� Sarawak highlighted the Sarawak Hydrogen Economy Roadmap( SHER) as a framework to guide policy, investment and infrastructure development.

� With abundant renewable energy resources, clear regulatory frameworks, and strong political commitment, Sarawak is positioned to become a regional green hydrogen hub.

Organised by Borneo Business Connect Sdn Bhd and hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Sarawak( MEESty) in partnership with Business Events Sarawak, the event brought together stakeholders from across the region to discuss investment opportunities, technology deployment, and strategies for building a resilient green hydrogen ecosystem in Sarawak.

The session was officiated by Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Sarawak, Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, who led a town hall titled“ Sarawak’ s Clean Hydrogen Journey: Addressing Challenges, Enabling Investments, Building the Value Chain.”

Speaking to a packed audience, Hazland emphasised that while Sarawak possesses strong fundamentals, including abundant renewable energy resources such as hydropower, biomass, and natural gas, developing a commercially viable hydrogen industry requires careful attention to financing, technology validation, infrastructure readiness, and market certainty.

Hazland said:“ Scaling clean hydrogen is not simply about producing energy. It requires a fully integrated ecosystem-from upstream production to downstream utilisation, secure offtakers, and export-ready frameworks.”

He highlighted the Sarawak Hydrogen Economy Roadmap( SHER) as the state’ s strategic blueprint, emphasising three key takeaways: it provides policy clarity, supports infrastructure planning, and offers regulatory guidance to strengthen investor confidence. To further de-risk early-stage projects, Sarawak is exploring blended financing models and international partnerships, with a focus on making these projects bankable and commercially sustainable.

Chairman of Borneo Business Connect Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin opened the engagement day with a welcoming speech underscoring Sarawak’ s unique position in the global energy transition.

BUILDING A HYDROGEN HUB

“ Hydrogen is no longer a distant aspiration; it is now embedded in national strategies, industrial transformation plans, and cross-border energy cooperation across the world,” he said.

Asmat also highlighted Sarawak’ s abundant renewable energy resources, institutional stability, and clear aspiration towards a green economy by 2030 as key enablers for building a sustainable hydrogen industry.

The chairman stressed that industries of this scale do not emerge from isolated projects alone.“ They require ecosystem discipline, regulatory clarity, infrastructure readiness, financing frameworks, technology validation, and market certainty across the entire value chain.”

He encouraged all participants to take an active role in translating policy

SHAPING THE HYDROGEN FUTURE: Kamarul Bahrin Haron( left) moderates the town hall with Datuk Dr Hazland, guiding conversations on Sarawak’ s green hydrogen roadmap.

MEDIA ENGAGEMENT: The organisers and officials outline the objectives of APGH 2026 during the event’ s inaugural press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

ambition into investment, technology into deployment, and partnerships into long-term value for the region.

A key topic of discussion during the town hall was off-taker development and demand creation. Hazland highlighted the critical role of long-term supply agreements in achieving final investment decisions. Domestically, Sarawak is building anchor demand in transport and industrial sectors, while pursuing export opportunities in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.

“ Securing revenue certainty through creditworthy buyers will be central to unlocking financing and scaling the industry sustainably,” he said.

Beyond production, APGH 2026 will broaden discussions to encompass the wider low-carbon transition. Sessions will cover renewable integration, integrated hydrogen hubs in Kuching and Bintulu, storage and transport infrastructure, hydrogen derivatives such as ammonia and methanol, downstream industries, and export logistics.

These discussions are designed to reinforce the need for a resilient, endto-end value chain that supports both domestic and international markets.

The APGH platform aims to go beyond a traditional conference. According to Asmat, its purpose is to foster alignment among policymakers, investors, producers, researchers, and industry leaders with a shared objective: transforming policy ambition into bankable opportunities and sustainable partnerships.

The inaugural APGH in 2024 had already demonstrated the value of such engagement, attracting serious stakeholders, facilitating meaningful dialogue, and drawing growing international interest in Sarawak’ s hydrogen journey.

Held under the theme“ Empowering the Future – Delivering a Resilient Hydrogen Ecosystem,” APGH 2026 will take place from Jun 9 to 11, 2026, at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching. The conference is expected to feature over 90 speakers, 800 delegates, and 5,000 industry and trade visitors from 30 countries.

The event will offer an enhanced conference programme, an expanded exhibition showcase, and curated networking platforms designed to catalyse investments and cross-border partnerships.

With strong government backing, strategic planning, and growing international interest, Sarawak is positioning itself as a competitive, resilient hub for green hydrogen in the Asia Pacific.

APGH 2026 is expected to further strengthen the state’ s low-carbon ambitions, providing a critical platform for translating ambition into tangible outcomes and long-term value for both the region and global hydrogen markets. – @ green