KUCHING, Oct 13: Sarawak’s vision to become a hydrogen hub in the Asian region comes with the necessary steps and action said Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“With its strength in renewable power, Sarawak was well-poised to be a major green hydrogen producer and supplier in the region by 2028.
“Sarawak had been in talks with large industries from Japan and Korea that are committed to collaborate on producing hydrogen to power up industries in these countries,” said Abang Johari when commenting as a panel speaker to questions by a moderator at the Tokyo hydrogen forum organised by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in Japan on Wednesday
He stressed that the threat of climate change crisis to the world was real as weather patterns had become unpredictable that warranted a concerted effort of the global community.
“It is the responsibility of the world to mitigate climate change. The world must be united to face the crisis.
“In playing its role, the Sarawak government had put in place policies that are aligned with the world’s climate change protocols designed towards decarbonisation, he told participants of the hybrid forum that included panel speakers from other parts of the world,” he added.
Abang Johari pointed out that its time for Sarawak together with the rest of the world to act towards the energy transition in order to achieve a net-zero emission by 2050 as set by the Paris protocol.
Through SEDC Energy Sarawak was negotiating with Sumitomo Corporation and Eneos Corporation of Japan under the Hornbill Project where green hydrogen via methylcyclohexane (MCH) was targetted to be on stream by 2028.
Sarawak is also negotiating with Samsung, Posco and Lotte of Korea under the Hibiscus Project for a buy back in the form of ammonia,” he added.
Commenting on Sarawak’s hydrogen experience, Abang Johari said it had started with a pilot hydrogen production facility in 2016 under Sarawak Energy (SEB) that supplied the gas to run hydrogen buses and cars in Sarawak’s capital city of Kuching.
Earlier, the Premier and members of his delegation paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike at her office.
Among those present were Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, State Secretary, Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy State Secretary, Datu Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel and SEDC Chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain, Chief Political Secretary to the Premier, Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman
Earlier in the day, the delegation took a tour of the Tokyo Oi Hydrogen Station and later the Tokyo Hydrogen Museum. -TVS
