By Dayangku Hidayatul and Karen Bong
KUCHING, Aug 12: A highly successful renewable energy project should deliver not only firm, reliable power but also serve as a platform for sustainable development and become the backbone of a thriving rural economy, helping to close the gap between Sarawak’s urban and rural communities.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Environment Sustainability Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni made this point today when addressing industry leaders, government representatives and community stakeholders at the Baram DeepTech Industry and Technical Engagement held at a hotel here.
The event followed Planet QEOS Sdn Bhd’s signing of RM2.32 billion worth of agreements with five strategic partners to launch the Baram DeepTech Energy Programme. The partners are: China Construction Sixth Engineering Bureau Corporation (CSCEC) as lead engineering and development partner; ES Sunlogy Berhad as solar and battery co-developer; EFS as agrovoltaic and food security partner; Founder Group Consortium as green energy and data centre investor; and Hopewind as technology and training partner.
Hazland stressed that the true value of a project goes beyond its megawatt output, with its focus also on transforming lives, uplifting rural communities, building skills, and creating economic opportunities in Sarawak’s interior.
“It is about ensuring renewable energy is not just a climate commitment, but an economic engine for the communities closest to the projects. When a renewable project becomes the backbone of a thriving rural economy, that is when it achieves its highest purpose,” he said.
He noted that the initiative aligns with the newly launched Sarawak Energy Transition Policy (SET-P), unveiled yesterday by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, which targets 10 gigawatts of generation capacity by 2030 and positions Sarawak as a regional leader in renewable energy.
Dr Hazland also underlined that every renewable energy venture must stand on three strong pillars: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability.
“Renewable energy can be the spark that powers schools and clinics, enables modern farming, opens the door to tourism and digital services, and attracts investments.
“The best renewable projects deliver firm, reliable power that communities and industries can count on, integrate energy with agriculture, aquaculture and manufacturing to multiply benefits, engage local suppliers and contractors from day one to strengthen our economy from within, and prepare our youth for high-value technical and leadership roles in the green economy. “When we work this way, a renewable plant is no longer just a facility, it becomes a platform for development,” he said.
Dr Hazland emphasised that delivery must be measured not only in technical or financial terms but also in social return on investment.
“If a project can feed the grid, it should also feed the economy of the surrounding villages. If it can reduce carbon emissions, it should also reduce the gap between urban and rural Sarawak,” he said, calling for private sector innovation and community participation to ensure long-term benefits.
“Let us design renewable projects that are firm in power and firm in purpose. If we succeed, we will not only light our cities and industries, we will light our villages, our farms and our futures. Let us move forward in that shared commitment so that every renewable project in Sarawak stands as a model of sustainability with a human face.”
The Baram DeepTech Energy Programme will be the first in the world to integrate multi-economic functionality into a solar power plant, designed to provide round-the-clock, dispatchable renewable electricity comparable to conventional gas and hydropower.
Billed as a pioneering leap for Sarawak, the project is expected to put the state and Malaysia on the global stage for renewable energy innovation while delivering tangible socio-economic progress to its rural heartlands.
Telang Usan assemblyman Datuk Dennis Ngau, Planet QEOS executive chairman Dino Bidari, CEO Dr Gabriel Walter, and COO Lam Poh Lian were among the distinguished guests present at the event. — DayakDaily
