By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 10: While Sarawak has set a target to boost electricity capacity to 15GW by 2035, it will not stop there as it aims to be the ‘Battery of Asean’ by supplying clean energy and enhancing cross-border interconnectivity.
According to Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, with Asia’s growing demand for clean fuel, Sarawak is scaling up commercial green hydrogen production and leveraging on its abundant hydropower.
“Through the Asean Power Grid initiative, we are strengthening regional energy security while exploring storage solutions to optimise supply and distribution,” he said.
He said this while delivering a public lecture at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore today, whereby his text speech was made available to the media.
The Premier pointed out that through partnerships with Japan, South Korea, and China, Sarawak is expanding its hydrogen supply chain, positioning itself as a leader in the Asia-Pacific green hydrogen economy.
“However, green hydrogen alone cannot eliminate emissions across all industries. Sarawak is integrating Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors while unlocking new low-carbon economic opportunities,” he said.
He touched on the strengthening of bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Japan in the development and trade of ammonia, with Sarawak positioned as a key supplier of low-carbon ammonia to Japan.
“Building on this, we are collaborating with Japan to convert methane into ammonia using syngas technology, maximising resource efficiency while reducing emissions.
“These innovations are crucial in cutting carbon emissions and reinforcing Sarawak’s role in industrial decarbonisation,” he said.
He also added that Sarawak is also scaling up low-carbon fuel production to support further industrial and energy transition efforts by expanding its low-carbon fuel initiatives.
“In July 2024, the Sarawak Methanol Complex was launched to drive industrial growth and support the transition to greener fuel alternatives.
“Last month marked a key milestone in our green energy transition with the sail-away of Sarawak Petchem’s first methanol export to China and the groundbreaking of the Green Methanol Plant.
“This new facility will enhance our capacity for sustainable fuel production, driving industrial growth and supporting the broader energy transition,” he said.
Once operational, he said, the plant will enhance low-carbon methanol production, supporting the chemical industry, power generation, transportation, and green bunkering as a sustainable fuel for the shipping industry.
“These initiatives are key to Sarawak’s broader decarbonisation strategy, integrating renewable energy and carbon capture technologies to lower emissions across industries,” he said.
He also said that as part of the State’s low-carbon transition, they are optimising natural gas resources for a structured shift to cleaner energy through the launch of the Sarawak Gas Roadmap outlines strategies last November to maximise natural gas utilisation while integrating renewables and CCUS to strengthen energy security and sustainability.
Abang Johari noted that at the same time, biomass plays a key role in Sarawak’s energy transition, where agricultural waste is being converted into biofuels, biogas, and syngas to support industrial decarbonisation, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), offering new opportunities to reduce emissions in the aviation sector.
“These are not standalone efforts; they are deeply aligned with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS 2030), ensuring that economic growth, energy security, and sustainability progress together,” he said. — DayakDaily
