KUCHING: Sarawak wants to accelerate the adoption of green hydrogen solutions to propel the region towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.
In this respect Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg envisions the Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen Conference and Exhibition 2024 (APGH 2024) as an important platform to foster collaboration and access the latest advancements in green hydrogen technology.
The state will thus be aiming high and leveraging the partnerships and innovations showcased at APGH 2024, he said.
He emphasised that through dialogue, collaboration, and networking opportunities such as APGH, Sarawak and its partners will advance towards their shared aspirations for a sustainable future.
“My expectation is for them to engage with us while simultaneously accessing the latest available technology. For example, with hydrogen, can it be transported in gas form? Can it be stored in tanks?
“Secondly, whether we can have modular tanks for rural areas to transport hydrogen that can generate power instead of relying solely on solar energy? It could be a hybrid system.
“Thirdly, we are sharing our success in reducing power consumption from 60 kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 38 kWh. When I was in Europe, they told me it could not be done.
“They said, ‘No, I don’t think you can do that.’ But we proved it can be done, and we achieved even lower consumption. So, it seems the Europeans aren’t the only ones who are knowledgeable, right?”
Abang Johari was officiating at the APGH 2024 at Borneo Conference Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Monday.
He said Sarawak stands at the forefront of the hydrogen economy, pioneering Southeast Asia’s first hydrogen production and refuelling facilities and deploying the world’s first hydrogen-powered autonomous rapid transit.
With multi-billion dollar investments in large-scale hydrogen and hydrogen-based product manufacturing, he said Sarawak aims to make hydrogen a competitive energy source by 2030, leading the region in transitioning to a hydrogen-driven economy.
“As a major low-carbon hydrogen producer, Sarawak is committed to decarbonising its own sectors while assisting neighbouring nations in their efforts.
“Leveraging our renewable energy advantage, government support, and dynamic partnerships, Sarawak stands ready to unleash hydrogen’s full potential in driving decarbonisation across the state and beyond,” he added.
In light of this, Abang Johari encouraged industries in Sarawak, across Malaysia, and globally to consider hydrogen as a feedstock for various industrial processes beyond its use in transportation and off-grid electrification.
This, he said, includes blending hydrogen with natural gas for gas power plants, producing synthetic fuels like ammonia and methanol, and applications in steel-making, cement production, and more.
