@ green | September-October , 2020

Secretary-General of MOSTI Datuk Siti Hamisah delivering the Minister ' s message .

Jacobi delivering his speech . Launching of the Sarawak BioHub Port Showcase .

Sarawak poised to be first BioHub Port in Malaysia

( AIM ) recently showcased a new biohub port in Sarawak that marks the strategic collaboration between AIM , Regal Lands Sdn Bhd ( REGAL ), Bintulu Port Holdings Berhad ( BPHB ) and the Port of Rotterdam ( PoR ).

The Minister of Science , Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar in his speech read by the Secretary-General of MOSTI Datuk Ir Dr Siti HamisahTapsir said : “ The signing of this MoU to create a BioHub Port in Sarawak , the first for the State and Malaysia , is a major development for AIM ’ s initiative to develop , accelerate and consolidate sustainable biomass economy for the country .

“ This is based on the years of collaboration between AIM , on behalf of the federal government , an agency under MOSTI and the Sarawak government with the view to transform biomass resources into a catalyst of growth that will contribute towards the Gross National Income ( GNI ) for Malaysia and create high-value jobs .

“ With Port of Rotterdam ’ s know-how , combined with the localised technical and feedstock knowledge of Bintulu Port , Regal and other consortium partners , Sarawak will be well-positioned to realise its potential as an ideal location for highvalue biomass industry , and transform into Malaysia ’ s and Asia ’ s first integrated Circular Economy and Symbiosis BioHub Port .”

The Minister said the BioHub Port was identified as an enabling component to this plan .

Bold and innovative venture

The port , which is conceptualised , promoted and supported by AIM with a growing list of esteemed implementation partners , will help spur highly localisedand value-added activities , such as integrated R & D and innovation , and technology-based business opportunities for both local and international stakeholders .

It was estimated Sarawak stood to capture about RM4.8 billion additional revenue per year , create more than 35,000 new Green jobs and generate approximately RM18 billion in investments .

“ On behalf of the Malaysian government and MOSTI , we would like to congratulate Sarawak for taking on this bold and innovative venture .

“ This development is consistent with the government ’ s focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG ) through the deployment of frontier technologies and Circular Economy models for projects .

“ The BioHub Port project is aligned to the Sarawak Biomass Industry Development

Walkabout of the exhibition area of biomass technologies by partners of the Sarawak BioHub Port consortium .

Jacobi being briefed about the portable i-Tank for collecting and monitoring Used Cooking Oil ( UCO ) to be sent for biofuels production .

Plan ( SBIDP ), an action plan developed collectively by AIM and Sarawak State Government and relevant stakeholders to drive this industry ,” added the Minister .

Earlier in his welcome speech Ambassador of the Netherlands to Malaysia , Aart Jacobi said : “ The port of Rotterdam accommodates the world ’ s largest renewables industrial cluster . This has been possible with the excellent connections for supply and transit , processing of biomass , cargo flows and storage facilities .

“ With several biofuel plants and biochemical companies , Rotterdam is the European hub for bio-based industries .”

“ Today , we look forward to the launch of this project that aims to position Malaysia as a regional premier biohub port . The BioHub concept is something that has been advocated by AIM together with their partners .

“ This collaboration with the support of the government would accelerate the sustainable economic growth of Sarawak .”

The parties to the biohub port and biomass industrial estate development – AIM , REGAL , BPHB and PoR - recently signed a MoU to conduct a study on the development of the Biohub Industrial Port and Industrial Estate in Bintulu , Sarawak .

Driving force for progress

The recent showcase also saw an MoU exchange between AIM and Fat Hopes Energy Sdn Bhd ( FHE ), a local Sarawak company .

Under the MoU , AIM and FHE will explore and conduct analyses and relevant case studies on the waste stream aggregation , pre-treatment and processing for the development of a sustainable BioHub Port .

The MoUs mark a significant development for the Sarawak Biomass Industry Development Plan ( SBIDP ), a collaboration blueprint between AIM and the Sarawak government to transform biomass resources into a contributor to Gross National Income .

AIM is a member of a Steering Committee championed by the State government and led by the Economic Planning Unit Sarawak to drive the plans laid out under the SBIDP .

Among others , the Steering Committee is looking at a holistic involvement of

Sarawak ’ s business , industry and farming sectors in a waste-to-profit biomass development model based on the concept of Circular Economy .

This is where repurposing , recycling and upcycling is the driving force for progress , as opposed to the resource-heavy traditional linear economy “ take , make and dispose of ” production model .

The ultimate scenario is for the creation of a Sarawak BioHub Development that envisions an entire value chain for biomass , which extends across the State to include sizeable farming communities with abundant biomass feedstock .

These communities may run their primary biomass collection , aggregation and preparation mills as part of the broader supply pipeline for significant processing plants and export markets .

The MoU focuses on identifying a suitable location for developing a Biohub project in close cooperation with Bintulu Port Holdings Berhad as a significant step towards creating an integrated network of processing plants and satellite supply collection points in the hinterland .

AIM Chief Executive Officer Naser Jaafar said the agency had spent significant time and effort to form collaborations with the right fit of stakeholders who are aligned to the vision of the National Biomass Strategy ( NBS ).

Significant potential for cooperation

“ We have been supporting this project since the start with like-minded stakeholders and strong implementation partners to make this vision a reality ,” said Naser .

“ This will be exciting times for Sarawak , and coupled with AIM ’ s other initiatives in commercialising innovative business opportunities and industry-academia collaboration -plus social innovation -we may well witness something that could be a game-changer .”

Project development partners have expressed their optimism and commitment to take Sarawak on a sustainable development path , in support of the biohub port ,

Executive Director of REGAL Wong Pak Kiong highlighted his real estate and construction firm had taken a new strategic direction together with the State in synergising development work for Sarawak ’ s vast land resources to create job opportunities for Sarawakians and pioneer another wealth creation direction for Sarawak businesses .

Group CEO of BPHB Dato ’ Mohammad Medan Abdullah pointed out there was significant potential for cooperation in the two Sarawak ports currently operated by the Bintulu Port Group , which are now in the process of enhancing operations , energy efficiency , management and organisation and environmental stewardship .

Managing Director of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia ( representing PoR ) Andre Toet was confident the cooperation would strengthen his organisation ’ s presence and commitment in Malaysia to support the country ’ s sustainable port and industrial estate developments . — @ green