KUCHING, March 15: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on hydrogen economy has been signed between the Sarawak government and Swinburne University of Technology.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Premier of Sarawak Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, which took place today in Hawthorn in Melbourne, Australia.
According to a press statement, the Sarawak government and Victorian Hydrogen Hub (VH2), which is led by Swinburne and funded by the Victorian state government of Australia, intend to work together concerning the hydrogen economy and its development in Sarawak, including connecting both parties within the global hydrogen supply chain and ecosystem.
The MoU was signed by Professor Pascale Quester, vice-chancellor and president of Swinburne University, and Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, the director of the Economic Planning Unit, Sarawak.
Dr Sim said that Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s vision is for Sarawak to be the central clean hydrogen-producing hub in the region in its quest to develop a hydrogen-driven economy.
“Security of energy supply and climate change represent two major concerns about the future of the energy sector, which give rise to the challenge of finding the best way to rein in emissions while also providing the energy required to sustain economies.
“Hydrogen is attractive because whether it is burned to produce heat or reacted with air in a fuel cell to produce electricity, the only by-product is water,” he said.
Through this MoU, they hope to address research and human capital challenges, support sustainable manufacturing practices, and support the ability to store clean energy from renewable sources.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Abdullah said renewable energy is one of the key growth economic sectors of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, and clean hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier and feedstock that can allow the energy and industrial sectors to achieve deep decarbonisation.
“Barriers to market activation stem from a lack of supporting infrastructure and the cost of hydrogen supply. However, both barriers can be overcome via a series of strategic partnerships and investments along the value chain from both the private and public sectors,” he said.
VH2 is a collaboration between Swinburne, Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Germany’s ARENA 2036 to explore new business models, seek community insights into the applications of hydrogen, investigate the regulatory and safety requirements, identify the training needs of the future workforce, and develop new technologies, products and services that will create jobs and strengthen local industry. — DayakDaily
