KUCHING, Nov 3: Sarawak Energy’s emerging regional leadership in renewable energy development saw the corporation represented at the annual Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2020 held recently.
Sarawak Energy Group Chief Executive Officer Datu Sharbini Suhaili was part of a high level panel discussion representing the energy sector at the 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on System Integration of Renewables.
Sharbini’s session entitled “Accelerating Investment in Renewable Electricity Technology and Infrastructure” comprised ministerial delegates and corporate leaders addressing measures undertaken by governments and the private sector to enhance renewable electricity uptake and integration against the backdrop of a global economy affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The session was moderated by Dr Peter Kaderjak, Minister of State, Ministry of Energy and Climate Affairs in Hungary.
Sharbini spoke of Sarawak and Sarawak Energy’s related efforts while highlighting the lessons learnt from Sarawak’s renewable energy development journey.
Highlighting Sarawak Energy’s role as implementer in delivering the Sarawak Government’s vision of achieving developed status by 2030 through hydro-industrialisation at the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy, he emphasised the importance of multi-sector collaboration in creating a sustainable energy future.
“The year 2020 and the current crisis provides a new set of challenges as well as opportunities. Sarawak is ahead of the curve as we have a strategy, blue-print, identified players and potential markets and most importantly, the understanding of what needs to be done in the development of renewable energy to progress the green agenda in Sarawak and the region,” Sharbini said.
Chief Executive Officer for SEB Power James Ung was a panelist in the “Regional Interconnectivity in The Low Carbon Energy Transition” session at SIEW.
In his session, Ung shared with the audience Sarawak Energy’s Borneo Grid aspiration and interconnection initiatives which he emphasised should be a part of the solution to share electricity generated from renewable resources.
“Sarawak Energy commenced export to West Kalimantan in 2016, marking the first major milestone on the journey towards materialising the vision of a cross border connectivity within Borneo or the Borneo Grid.”
“Sarawak’s shift to hydropower from hydrocarbons about a decade ago has significantly reduced our carbon emission intensity by about 76.5 percent. Through our existing and planned interconnections, we can share our renewable energy resources with our neighbours and further contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions in the region as well as improve reliability of the network and bilaterally optimised operation costs,” Ung said.
The conference, held from 26-30 October, was organised as a hybrid event due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, with participants being able to attend physically or virtually.
Other speakers at the session included Singapore’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Dr Tan See Leng, Phillipines’s Secretary of Energy Alfonso G. Cusi, Poland’s Minister for Climate and Environment Michal Kurtyka, Portugal’s Minister for Environment and Climate Action Joao Pedro Matos Fernandes and Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Deputy Secretary General Timo Tatar.
ASEAN was represented by its Secretary General Datuk Lim Jock Hoi.
In addition non-government speakers invited to the event included President for State Grid Corporation of China Xin Baoan, CEO and Director for DBS Group Piyush Gupta, CEO for Hitachi ABB Power Grids Claudio Facchin and CEO and Executive Director for Sunseap Group Frank Phuan.-DayakDaily
