KUCHING: Sarawak needs to continue focusing on developing and implementing cleaner energy technologies across the value chain to meet the world’s demand for energy in a sustainable and efficient manner.
In stating this, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said it is imperative to actively engage in multilateral processes that aim to address the global challenge – climate change that endangers the well-being of people and the planet.
“The next few years are critical to act for a sustainable future for all. Delayed action will trigger the impacts of climate change so catastrophic that our world will become unrecognisable.
“Changing of course will require immediate, ambitious and concerted efforts to slash emissions,” he said.
He said this during the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) and South Korea’s POSCO Group in the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) business in Sarawak at Wisma Bapa Malaysia on Monday (Dec 12).
Abang Johari, who is also Finance and New Economy Minister said that according to the Global CCS Institute, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is one of the few few technologies that is able to adequately displace carbon dioxide (CO2) and the only technology capable of reducing large-scale emissions from diverse industrial sources.
“CCUS is beginning to prove itself as a commercially viable solution that has the potential to be used for making of hydrogen (H2), blue ammonia, biofuels and other products, thereby providing a sustained platform in Sarawak apart from the generation of carbon credits.
“In this regard, Sarawak’s initiative in CCUS aims to support Green Energy businesses in line with the Global Financial movement towards environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework,” he said.
He also said Petros, given its technical skills and know-how, is the resource manager for CCUS with the support of the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability and Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources.
“In this regard, the Sarawak government has also recently updated the Sarawak Land Code Ordinance and developed the Carbon Capture and Storage Standards to include legislation regulating this new business opportunity,” said Abang Johari.
