By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 9: Power supply to Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad’s (Cahya Mata) phosphate complex in Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu has been restored, allowing commissioning activities at the facility to resume and marking a crucial step towards its commercialisation.
According to a media release today, the 142-hectare phosphate complex is operated by Cahya Mata Phosphates Industries Sdn Bhd (Cahya Mata Phosphates), which produces yellow phosphorus (YP), technical-grade phosphoric acid (TPA), and food-grade phosphoric acid (FGA) with 99.9 per cent purity.
Cahya Mata Phosphates is majority-owned by Cahya Mata through its subsidiaries, Samalaju Industries Sdn Bhd (79.07 per cent) and Cahya Mata Professionals Sdn Bhd (1.12 per cent).
Cahya Mata Group managing director Dato Sri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib emphasised that this project will help Malaysia realise its first phosphate plant, enhancing food security at home and building resilience across regional supply chains.
“The re-energisation of power for the phosphate complex marks a significant step towards commercialisation of the operation,” he said.
Powered primarily by Sarawak’s renewable hydropower, the complex will restart operations through a phased ramp-up, targeting full production capacity by the first half of 2026, subject to safety, quality, and performance benchmarks.
Strategically located near Samalaju deepwater port, the facility is positioned to cater to both domestic markets and regional exports.
At full capacity, annual output will reach 48,000 metric tonnes of YP, 75,000 metric tonnes of TPA, and 60,000 metric tonnes of FGA. YP is destined for domestic use and exports to Japan, Korea, India, Taiwan, and Europe, while TPA and FGA will be supplied locally as well as to Thailand, Japan, and Indonesia.
As Malaysia currently imports most of its phosphate supply, Cahya Mata said the plant’s local production will reduce reliance on imports, strengthen the country’s food manufacturing industry, and create the foundation for downstream chemical clusters.
The project is also expected to generate skilled jobs and wider industrial opportunities in Sarawak. — DayakDaily
