KUCHING: Sarawak Energy was part of a high level thought leadership discourse on renewable energy solutions for Southeast Asia at the recently concluded Singapore International Energy Week 2019 or SIEW 2019.
Sarawak Energy group chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili was a panelist at the International Energy Agency Forum’s session titled ‘Opportunities and Challenges in the South East Asian Energy Landscape’.
Other panelists included Strategy and New Business for ENGIE South East Asia chief of finance Thomas Baudlot, Research and Development of ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company vice president Dr Vijay Swarup, International Energy Agency director of energy markets and security Keisuke Sadamori and Asean Centre for Energy executive director Dr Nuki Agya Utama.
The moderator was Bureau of Energy Resources for the Department of State US energy diplomacy deputy assistant secretary Kurt Donnelly.
Sharbini shared with the plenary session on why renewable hydropower remained the best option for Sarawak’s sustainable development and how this has contributed towards the Malaysian government’s national goals of reducing emissions and increasing renewables in the generation mix.
He also emphasised that interconnections should be a part of the solution to share electricity generated from renewable resources.
“In Sarawak, we harness our abundant renewable hydropower resources to power development and this now makes up the predominant part of our generation mix, complemented by indigenous coal and gas for energy security.
“Looking at the energy transition, interconnections provide a solution to the challenges faced by enabling us to share our renewable energy generation capacity with our neighbours.”
The discussion also centered on the various potential energy sources which could complement each other for energy security in the region.
Earlier, Sharbini attended the CEO Roundtable Discussion organised by Singapore Power Group as part of a line-up of prominent energy leaders and decision makers on the energy landscape and way forward in how to accelerate the transition to renewables.
Sarawak Energy vice president for rural electrification Dr Chen Shiun also spoke at SIEW 2019 as a panelist on the session entitled ‘Socio-economic Footprint of the Energy Transformation’ where he pointed out affordability was a key consideration in the developing world’s move to renewables.
The day before, Singapore Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing officiated at the opening ceremony of SIEW 2019, organised by the Singapore’s Energy Market Authority to bring together global energy leaders to discuss this year’s theme, ‘Accelerating Energy Transformation’ at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands here.
