KUCHING: Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (BPHB) plans to be involved in several other renewable energy projects besides hydrogen.
This include exploring opportunities in green ammonia, solar, biomass, algae and carbon capture and storage, according to company chairman Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki.
He said the move is in line with BPHB’s Port Development Plan that is further aligned with the Sarawak Government’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 to facilitate the state’s growth.
“In today’s dynamic world, our pursuit of economic development will continue to be met with challenges, particularly in addressing carbon emissions and the rising costs associated with fossil fuel usage.
“The global shift towards renewable energy, specifically the production of clean hydrogen, aligns with our commitment to nature conservation, sustainable power generation and combating global warming.
“Sarawak, blessed with abundant raw materials and cost-effective electricity from our hydropower dams is strategically positioned to produce hydrogen efficiently, ensuring both viability and long-term sustainability,” added Mohamad in the company’s 2023 annual report.
On Sarawak government’s initiative to take over the regulatory control of Bintulu Port, he said this aligns with the state’s vision to assign each port a specialised role in trade promotion and enhancing connectivity with global transportation hub.
“This transition signifies a new phase for Bintulu Port as we are able to offer opportunities for growth encapsulated in the PCDS strategy.
“The group is committed to support this initiative spearheaded by both the federal and Sarawak state and we will play our role to ensure the transitions will be smooth, and the services rendered by the port will remain efficient and uninterrupted,” assured Mohamad, who is also Sarawak State Secretary.
He noted that PCDS strategy centres around economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and social inclusivity.
“Sarawak’s vision for 2030 is to cultivate a society that leverages new ideas and technology to continually enhance itself to ensure that everyone benefits from the positive developments taking place. One significant aspect of the plan is to transform the way the state’s economy functions. The goal is to enhance efficiency and provide support to businesses that contribute to environmental wellbeing. Additionally, there is an emphasis on maintaining a balance between services and manufacturing sector to foster economic growth.
“Another crucial aspect of the plan involves enhancing efficiency and speed. The intention is to leverage new technology and enhance infrastructure such as roads and internet access, ultimately making life more convenient for everyone.
Additionally, there are plans to generate more jobs and encourage individuals to establish their own businesses. By providing people with increased opportunities and fostering innovative ideas, the goal is to improve the quality of life for everyone.”
Mohamad said Bintulu Port is an integral part of these plans, and its mission is to facilitate Sarawak’s economic growth, generate employment opportunities and ensure environmental sustainability.
BPHB group chief executive officer (CEO) Ruslan Abdul Ghani said there are no other ports providing the same kind of services that Bintulu Port offers as the latter is a fully-integrated port handling not only liquefied natural gas (LNG) but all other services including base support operations for the oil & gas sector, RORO and biomass products.
He said it is time for Bintulu Port to grow, not only in expanding its current traditional business but also to diversify its portfolios, pivoting in areas beyond its current realm.
“We need to future proof our business. What has brought us here today might not be enough to secure our future. The need to meet the demand of our customers is paramount and we need to provide the services and the solutions they require.
Thus, we need to expand our existing capacities, acquire efficient equipment and acquire more land for future expansions.
“We will also need to pivot into new areas based on the future needs of our current customers as well as prospective customers that we are actively pursuing, especially in the green energy space. This is in line with and supporting the aspirations of the state government to spearhead the clean energy agenda in areas such as hydrogen, biomass and carbon capture and storage,” he added.
Ruslan said sustainability and environmental stewardship have been at the forefront of BPHB’s agenda, and as part of its commitment to the new strategy, it has actively pursued initiatives aimed at reducing carbon footprint and contributing to a greener future.
“Our efforts in enhancing operational efficiency and exploring renewable energy sources are a step towards our Net Zero Carbon Emission aspiration by 2050. We documented this in our comprehensive EESG Sustainabilty Framework where we integrated 8 out of the 17 UNSDG (UN Sustainable Development Goals) elements that we adopt as well as the four elements under UNGC (UN Global Compact).
“Moreover, our initiatives to promote renewable energy sources, such as solar power and to explore the possibilities of EV equipment, EV and hydrogen powered tugboats signify our commitment to innovation in sustainability. These endeavours not only aim to reduce our carbon footprint but also to position Bintulu Port at the forefront of the industry’s transition towards greener and more sustainable maritime operations.
“We have begun the necessary steps to install solar panels on our roofs, initiated discussions with partners for EV vehicles, including EV heavy equipment and EV for hydrogen power tug or pilot boats. We hope to develop these pathways towards further maturity with the plan to start the implementation of these initiative from 2024.
“We have also completed our comprehensive carbon footprint assessment for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions in 2023. Even though our Scope 1 and 2 emissions are relatively low at 23,510.55 tCO2e and 3,406.20 tCO2e respectively, we are progressive taking steps to further reduce this while exploring offset options. Hence, we have embarked on tree planting initiatives, among others, and will continue to focus on this moving forward,” he added.
On digitalisation, Ruslan said BPHB has embarked on a comprehensive journey to integrate advanced technologies into every facet of its operations.
“The introduction of BRIDGE, our intranet communication platform, marks a significant milestone in our quest to foster a unified and informed workplace. It ensures that every team member has access to vital updates and information, promoting transparency and collaboration access the company.
“Similarly, the development of Mobile Pilotage exemplifies our commitment to operational excellence, allowing pilots to record their movements in real-time for optimised resource management during marine operations, significantly moving away from traditional paper-based systems.
“The Vessel Berth Planning (VBP) system is a testament to our proactive approach in resource planning and management, enabling the electronic planning of vessel queues at each berth. This system replaces outdated manual methods, enhancing our efficiency and readiness in maritime operations.
“In parallel, our adoption of Microsoft 365 through the Modern Workplace initiative has revolutionised our work environment. By leveraging cloud storage, video conferencing and chat functions, we have created a more agile and collaborative workspace that is well-suited to the dynamic demand of our industry.”
Continued Ruslan: “We have implemented the pilot project for our face recognition solutions to enhance security which will be fully implemented throughout the company in 2024. We will also be implementing the autogate system, to enhance the efficiency of our operations. This pilot project is expected to commence at Samalaju Port in 2024 before it is rolled out company-wide in 2025. This will increase the efficiency of logistics movement going in and out of the port.”
He said BPHB has tendered out a fully-integrated and state of the art port operating system that will revolutionise the overall management of the port. The award of the project is expected in the next quarter (3Q2024) and will be implemented in phases over the next two years.
The company has also completed the overall adequacy check of all its closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) and will be tendering a contract this year to implement the recommendations made.
