By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, June 2: State-owned United Arab Emirates (UAE) clean energy provider, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC, widely known as Masdar, is keen to take up Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s idea on elevated solar.
Abang Johari said he has recently met up with Masdar chief executive officer (CEO) Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi who expressed the company’s intention to invest in Malaysia by producing green energy through floating solar at a hydro dam in Sarawak.
“I told him (Jameel) that solar is actually just absorption of sunlight and it is converted into energy. It does not necessarily must be floating—as long as you have the panel.
“Thus, I suggested to him to use elevated solar instead where the solar panels are elevated to allow agricultural plants to grow beneath them.
“Upon learning this, he was shocked and acknowledged that this is a good idea,” Abang Johari said when speaking during Harakah Islamiah’s (Hikmah) 21st Triennial Delegates Assembly (TDA) at Hikmah Exchange here today.
Abang Johari who is also Sarawak Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability (MEESty), added that Jameel has expressed his intention to use Abang Johari’s idea on elevated solar approach to bid for a similar project in UAE’s Sharjah.
“Actually, Masdar wanted to do this solar project in Sharjah but the Ruler of Sharjah who has a PHD in agriculture from the United States (sic) rejected the project unless the energy can be used for food production.
“Therefore, Jameel told me that he will try to talk again to the Ruler of Sharjah and he wanted to use my idea—elevated solar, where the land beneath can be used for agriculture,” he emphasised.
Also present were Abang Johari’s wife Puan Sri Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang; Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya; Hikmah president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain; Hikmah vice president Datu Misnu Taha; Hikmah vice president and Hikmah Helwa (Women Affairs) chairwoman Toh Puan Hayati Ahmat; Hikmah CEO Alwi Morshidi and Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS) general manager Datuk Abang Mohd Shibli Abang Mohd Nailie. — DayakDaily
