By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, May 13: Another hydrogen hub is being planned in Kuching as part of Sarawak’s strategy to further strengthen its capacity to lead Southeast Asia’s hydrogen economy, announced Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Delivering his keynote address titled ‘Charting A New Energy Future: Sarawak’s Hydrogen Economy in Action’ at the Hydrogen Economy Forum (H2EF) 2025, Abang Johari said that, recognising the critical role of clean energy, Sarawak launched the Sarawak Hydrogen Hub early last year, reinforcing its commitment to the energy transition.
“Our flagship large-scale green hydrogen initiatives, the H2ornbill and H2biscus projects, are progressing well and are expected to complete their Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) by the end of this year,” he told forum attendees during the H2EF 2025 Launching Ceremony at a prominent hotel here today.
The Premier went on to say that Sarawak has stepped forward with clarity, courage, and commitment in pursuing its green agenda.
“Our vision is unambiguous. We are determined to position Sarawak as a leading green economy hub in the region, grounded in the principles of sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity,” he said.
He added that a central agenda of the State is the development of a resilient and diversified energy hub.
“In fact, just last month, during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Sarawak, he expressed his full support to our vision and actively promoted Sarawak’s role as a future energy hub during his international engagements.”
Abang Johari further emphasised that being an energy hub is not merely a title, but a strategic endeavour.
“It means harnessing our unique geographical advantages, natural resources, and capabilities to contribute meaningfully to regional energy resilience.
“Our approach involves the development of four strategic energy-related hubs, each with a distinct focus but collectively contributing to our overarching ambition, namely the renewable energy hub, natural gas hub, carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub, and hydrogen hub,” he said.
The Premier explained that Sarawak is richly endowed with natural resources, including hydropower, solar, and biomass, which form the bedrock of its renewable energy strategy.
“Through Sarawak Energy Berhad (Sarawak Energy), we have already established strong cross-border interconnections, including power exports to West Kalimantan.
“Efforts are currently underway to expand supply to Sabah and Brunei, while technical planning and studies are being conducted for future interconnections to Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
“We are proud to be among the few jurisdictions in the region with the capacity to export clean energy beyond our borders,” he said.
He further noted that with nearly 60 per cent of Malaysia’s natural gas reserves located in Sarawak, the State is leveraging this critical resource through the implementation of the Sarawak Gas Roadmap as part of its natural gas hub development.
“The roadmap outlines the development of four major gas hubs in Miri, Samalaju, Bintulu, and Kuching, which are designed to support domestic industrialisation and meet export market demands.”
Abang Johari also mentioned that Sarawak is well positioned to become a regional leader in CCS, a critical technology in the global transition toward net-zero emissions.
“We are proud to hold over 65 per cent of Malaysia’s total geological carbon storage potential, placing Sarawak at the forefront of both national and regional decarbonisation efforts,” he said.
Additionally, he highlighted that through strategic initiatives, including the planning and development of the renewable energy hub, natural gas hub, carbon capture and storage hub, and hydrogen hub, Sarawak is laying the cornerstone of its clean energy transformation.
“These initiatives represent not only the State’s environmental responsibility but also its economic ambition to create quality jobs, attract high-value investments, and position Sarawak as a central player in the regional energy ecosystem,” said Abang Johari. — DayakDaily
