By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 10: Sarawak has made history with Bintulu being named Malaysia’s first Transitioning Industrial Cluster (TIC) under the World Economic Forum (WEF), placing the State at the forefront of the global energy transition.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the milestone during his keynote address at the World Hydrogen Conference Asia in Tokyo today, hailing it as a major achievement not only for Sarawak but for Malaysia as a whole, according to a post on the Premier’s official Facebook page, ‘Sarawakku’.
“This is a powerful recognition of Bintulu’s strategic potential and Sarawak’s commitment to clean industrial transformation,” he told the conference attendees, comprising international industry players and policymakers.
Bintulu joins a prestigious group of 35 industrial clusters across 16 countries, including 30 port-based hubs, that collectively represent 66 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The TIC programme, led by WEF, brings together public and private stakeholders to co-develop innovative low-carbon solutions aimed at cutting emissions, spurring green growth, and creating future-ready jobs.
“This is where the future of industry begins, where climate ambition meets economic opportunity. And we are proud that Sarawak will lead Malaysia as the first to chart this path forward,” Abang Johari said.
He extended an open invitation to global industry leaders to partner with Sarawak in shaping the future of sustainable industrialisation, stating, “Sarawak did it first, and we’re just getting started.”
The Premier went on to outline Sarawak’s broader hydrogen agenda, which he described as central to the State’s green energy ambitions.
He noted that the State’s power grid, underpinned by hydroelectricity, had achieved a 72 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from 2010 to 2023, a shift that has laid the foundation for its pioneering work in hydrogen.
“Hydrogen is not just a clean molecule, it is a connector. It connects energy to climate, industry to innovation, and nations to opportunity,” he said.
To drive this forward, Sarawak has launched the Sarawak Hydrogen Economy Roadmap (SHER), a structured, long-term blueprint to position Sarawak as a hydrogen hub for ASEAN and beyond.
Several major projects under SHER are already underway. These include H2biscus and H2ornbill, which are progressing through the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) phase.
The Hydrogen Fuel Cell-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system is also being rolled out to modernise Kuching’s public transport with zero carbon emissions.
Meanwhile, the purpose-built Rembus Hydrogen Plant, designed to produce 5,000kg of green hydrogen daily, will supply fuel for 38 ART trams and 55 hydrogen feeder buses under the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS).
Following his keynote, Abang Johari also joined a panel discussion to deliberate on the future of the hydrogen economy and the key challenges it faces.
The Premier’s remarks underscore Sarawak’s rising prominence in global clean energy leadership, with Bintulu’s TIC designation acting as both a catalyst and a symbol of Malaysia’s readiness to embrace a low-carbon industrial future. — DayakDaily
