KUCHING, May 6: Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg will deliver a keynote address at the three-day World Hydrogen 2022 Summit and Exhibition hosted by the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from May 9 to 11.
According to a media release from the Office of the Premier of Sarawak today, the Premier will be joining some 3,500 government and industry leaders from all over the world to explore and familiarise themselves with the latest hydrogen technologies, applications, and solutions are set to revolutionise the industry today.
In a 20-minute slot on Monday (May 9) at the start of the summit, the Premier’s address as a second speaker will be based on the theme ‘Accelerating the Global Hydrogen Economy: The Sarawakian Way’ primarily to highlight Sarawak as a rising tiger in the renewable energy arena, and that it is ‘hydrogen ready’.
Among those accompanying the Premier are Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion, Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, State Financial Secretary Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar, Economic Planning Unit director Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, Sarawak Economic Development (SEDC) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Hussain, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) chairman Datuk Amar Hamed Sepawi and SEB CEO Datu Sharbini Suhaili.
The Sarawak delegation will later fly to Oslo, Norway, to gain insights into the operationalisation of Norway’s sovereign wealth funds that the Premier has indicated will be a model for a similar fund to be set up by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to bring more returns to excess fund that Sarawak might accumulate in the future.
Abang Johari’s delegation will depart for Rotterdam tomorrow (May 7) and is scheduled to arrive in Rotterdam at 7.45 pm local time. The Ambassador of Malaysia to the Netherlands, Dato’ Nadzirah Osman, will be on hand to welcome the entourage upon arrival at the port city’s airport.
Sarawak is a pioneer in exploring the hydrogen economy that saw the setting up of its first hydrogen production facility in Kuching and trial runs of two units of hydrogen-powered buses in the streets of the capital city.
Sarawak is currently negotiating with Korean and Japanese companies keen to invest in setting up production facilities in Bintulu to manufacture green hydrogen with a prospect of buy-back by the respective country.
The Premier has also indicated that the City’s ART (Autonomous Rapid Transit), scheduled for completion in 2025, will also be powered by hydrogen fuel cells as part of Sarawak’s overall programme to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in line with the protocols of the 2021 United Nations Glasgow Climate Change Summit.
Later in the afternoon on May 9, the Premier and members of his delegation are scheduled to visit Shell’s office in The Hague, where he will be briefed by senior Shell executives, among others, on the future of Shell in Sarawak.
On May 10, the Premier’s delegation is scheduled to meet with the Port of Rotterdam’s CEO. Later in the afternoon, they will be taken on a tour of Shell’s technology centre in Amsterdam that showcases the multinational’s hydrogen technology and various other new innovations.
The delegation will fly to Oslo on Wednesday (May 11). — DayakDaily
