By Karen Bong
KUCHING, June 18: Sarawak may supply electricity up to a maximum of 1,000 megawatts (MW) to Singapore, said Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said in return, Singapore has agreed that they would bring investments that require intensive energy consumption into Sarawak.
“The Data Centre is the nerve of the digital economy in today’s era (in which companies) like Microsoft, Google and Amazon require a lot of power which Singapore is not able to supply.
“So why not we (Sarawak and Singapore) collaborate and enable major technology companies to come into Sarawak,” he said when addressing the opening of the 15th Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Convention today.
As Sarawak currently supplies electricity to Kalimantan, Indonesia with agreements to supply to Sabah and Brunei, Abang Johari said that this will be a win-win situation for both countries.
“Sarawak is very blessed with sufficient rain, sunshine and natural resources. We are now generating electricity mainly using water (hydro). Then we are also producing hydrogen and can also use solar power,” he added on the renewable energy sources available in Sarawak.
Furthermore, Abang Johari who is also PBB president, emphasised that the carbon capture and storage is another promising solution which could generate more revenue than State Sales Tax (SST) on petroleum products in the future.
Sarawak’s huge potential in renewable energy resources, he continued, has been recognised globally as reflected in an invitation to deliver a keynote address at the World Hydrogen Forum and Exhibition 2022 in Rotterdam recently.
“Just ask (Deputy Premiers) Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas about the number of foreigners and investors who have come to Sarawak.
“The German Ambassador is here and before that, the South Koreans and Belgians. They are all here to discuss energy matters.
“The South Koreans are interested in storing carbon in Sarawak. I said OK, why not. We will study (the implementation) and this will become another income stream for Sarawak,” he explained.
Abang Johari pointed out that it was for this reason that he had proposed the setting up of a sovereign fund for the future of Sarawak and its generations to come.
“We have the ability to increase our revenue from our natural resources and by adding value to them which will later go towards developing every nook and cranny of Sarawak,” he added. — DayakDaily
