By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 12: Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) will work together with South Korean companies to study potential sites as well as the technical and commercial feasibility in the development of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) business in Sarawak.
Petros, as the resource manager for the CCUS business in Sarawak, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Posco Holdings, Posco International, and Posco Engineering & Construction Co, Ltd (Posco E&C) in a ceremony held at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
The four companies will conduct a joint study on potential carbon storage sites in Sarawak based on available data provided by Petros; transportation of carbon dioxide (CO2) from South Korea to the CCUS hub in Sarawak; CO2 injection and sequestration; solutions to reduce, mitigate and/or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from the CCUS opportunities; and assess the technical and commercial feasibility of the CCUS business.
The MOU was signed by Posco Holdings executive vice president and head of its hydrogen business, Cho Ju-Ik, and Petros acting senior vice president of Sarawak Resources Management, Anyi Ngau.
Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in his congratulatory remarks, said he foresees bright future for the CCUS project between Sarawak and the South Korean group.
“Posco, you emit carbon, we capture your carbon, and we store your carbon here.
“In case you need carbon, of course we can (send the) asset back to you but of course it must be within the framework of international sustainability (standards) and there is a future for this,” he said during the event.
He also noted that according to the Global CCS Institute, CCUS is one of the few technologies that is able to adequately displace CO2 and the only technology capable of reducing large-scale emissions from diverse industrial sources.
“The technology can be retrofitted to many existing facilities, enabling them to operate cleanly for the remainder of their lifecycles.
“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 global financial movement towards environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework,” he added.
According to Cho in his speech, Posco International has abundant experiences in exploration and production of overseas oil and gas fields, and Posco E&C has already completed an in-depth study for CO2 facilities.
Amongst those present were Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki; Sarawak Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni; and Petros Board of Directors chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hamid Bugo. – DayakDaily
