By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Feb 15: The USD1.5 billion high-end graphite manufacturing plant to be constructed in Bintulu’s Samalaju Industrial Park is poised to be the first in Southeast Asia.
Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak will then be the first in the region to supply graphite for the use of the rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) battery market.
“This is the first (graphite) plant situated in Southeast Asia. We will be the first in our region to produce graphite, which is used in car engines using hydrogen fuel cells.
“This means that countries producing hydrogen fuel cells will need this graphite and we will become the first graphite producer in Bintulu, Sarawak,” he said when attending Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Bintulu’s Chinese New Year open house in Bintulu today.
Abang Johari also noted two other projects the Sarawak government is working on for Bintulu namely the USD3 billion ammonia plant and the handover of Bintulu Port from the federal government to Sarawak this June.
For the record, SEDC Energy Sdn Bhd and Gallois New Energy Materials (M) Sdn Bhd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Feb 2 to set up the graphite manufacturing plant, which will involve the development of 380 acres of land.
The construction will be carried out in three stages, starting in 2025 with a power demand of 100MW and gradually increasing to 500MW after three years while achieving an annual output of 400,000 tonnes of product.
Also present at the open house were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, Deputy Minister of Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, and Tanjong Batu assemblyman Johnny Pang. — DayakDaily
