THE Sarawak government will continue to pursue research on microalgae on its nutritional and medical benefits, and is looking into other algae species for their potential medical applications.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the microalgae offers potential for innovative and sustainable product development in the food industry.
“There are many algae species that have been found to have tremendous health benefits, and spirulina is a good example of a superfood. Spirulina is packed with essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which make it a popular supplement for health-conscious individuals.
“But beyond spirulina, we are also looking into other algae species for their potential medical applications. For instance, some algae have been found to have antibacterial and antiviral properties, which can help in the fight against infectious diseases,” he said.
Abang Johari who is also Minister for Finance and New Economy was delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at DUN yesterday (May 24).
He said, additionally algae may be used to reduce inflammation, detoxify the body, boost the immune system, and even aid in weight loss.
He told the august House that there are two facilities cultivating algae with different technologies, with the first facility, on solar platform, which is a collaboration between Sarawak Energy, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, Eneos Corporation and Chitose Group from Japan at Sejingkat.
“The other facility is employing the use of tanks and sea water. This is a collaboration between Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Energy and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) in Demak Laut,” he said.
Sarawak, he said, has also taken a progressive step to explore microalgae as a potential source of renewable energy, where Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, in collaboration with Sarawak Energy Berhad as well as Chitose Laboratory and Eneos Corporation from Japan has established the world’s largest mass microalgae biomass production facility, Chitose Carbon Capture Central (C4), spanning about five hectares in Sejingkat, Kuching.
“The C4 will tap into the exhausted gas containing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the Sejingkat Coal Power Plant to grow algae in a carbon circular economy.
“This is the first of its kind in Malaysia to demonstrate the industrial-scale utilisation of flue gas to enhance algae production. This 5-hectare facility will act as ‘liquid trees’ to capture CO2 while functioning as a natural purifier by releasing oxygen through photosynthesis,” he said.
Abang Johari believed that microalgae is an industrial crop that could help to expand and grow the state’s economy and serve as a model to achieve our aspirations while preserving the environment.
“This facility will also serve as part of net zero emissions efforts with an expected 700 tonnes of CO2 that can be absorbed by the algae biomass, and will produce around 350 tonnes of algae biomass annually. This will be transformed into high- quality products such as food and feedstock, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical ingredients,” he said.
He added the commercialisation of algae has only just begun.
“We anticipate significant growth in this industry with the planning of the Chitose group to expand the farm to 100 hectares in the next three years and to achieve 2,000 hectares by 2030 in Sarawak.
“We expect to create up to 5,000 new job opportunities and decarbonisation of about 200,000 tonnes of carbon annually,” he said.
On a related note, he said Sarawak has the capacity to provide a green fuel solution from a sustainable source.
“Microalgae offer great potential to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is crucial to the aviation industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“I just came back from Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition using aircraft powered by SAF, from a joint venture between PETRONAS and SEDC Energy. It is the world’s first SAF produced using algae. This clearly proves Sarawak is able to produce safe and reliable SAF for commercial use.
“I believe microalgae is a renewable source that can offer us a sustainable solution that does not compete with food sources.
“Here in Sarawak, there is enough sunlight, warm tropical climate and abundance of seawater that provides the right conditions to continuously farm the oil source sustainably,” said Abang Johari.
