KUCHING: Sarawak is ahead of other states in Malaysia and other regions in Southeast Asia in dealing with global climate change in accordance with the Paris Agreement 2015.
This it is doing through its bold and systematic energy transition plan.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak is the leading region in producing clean renewable energy, where currently about 70 per cent of the energy mix is from hydropower.
“We are committed to maintain at least 60 per cent of our renewable energy capacity mix with hydropower as it (hydropower) offers a sustainable renewable energy option that can benefit us beyond mere electricity generation,” he said.
“It allows us to reduce the carbon emission intensity of our power system by 73 per cent between 2010 and 2021, contributing to our Net Zero and sustainability commitments,” he added.
Leveraging on renewable hydropower, Abang Johari said, this has allowed Sarawak to explore green hydrogen production and utility scale floating solar.
“Under our Green Energy Agenda, we are exploring several ways to decarbonise our transport system and further transition towards a low carbon economy that already has predominantly green electricity as a pillar,” he said.
Abang Johari was speaking at the closing of the two-day Malaysia Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit 2023: Sarawak Region held here today.
In 2019, he said, Sarawak commissioned the first Hydrogen Production Plant and Refueling Station in this region. Sarawak is also working with Japanese and South Korea multinational companies (MNCs) to develop mega hydrogen production plants in Bintulu.
Riding on the move to decarbonise public transport system in Sarawak, the Kuching Urban Transport System (KUTS) will be automated using the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) and integrated with digital solutions to create seamless experience using hydrogen fuel cell.
“With a modern and eco-friendly integrated public transportation system, we expect carbon footprint from land transport in Kuching City will be significantly reduced by 15 per cent by 2030 while traffic growth of 2 per cent per annum will be subdued and we will save 36,000 hours of daily travel time,” he said,
Sarawak, he said, is currently cultivating 1,000 acres of microalgae in Bintulu that can potentially produce 500,000 tonnes per annum of crude algae oil.
“This can be equated to about 10,000 barrels per day with about 37 per cent extraction rate of crude algae oil from algae biomass.
“Therefore, we are potentially ‘growing oil’ that will have a significant contribution to our Green Economy Agenda,” he said.
Furthermore, he said, Sarawak is estimated to have about 30 trillion cubic meters of carbon storage capacity in the seabed of its continental shelf.
“We are now undertaking our first offshore Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project at the Petronas Kasawari Field near Bintulu. This project is anticipated to reduce up to 3.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually and further contribute to the net zero emissions goal by 2050,” he said.
“Under my leadership, I will assure that Sarawak will continue to lead the Green Economy Agenda in the region for a sustainable development in line with Post Covid-19 Development Strategies 2030 (PCDS 2030) and SDGs initiatives.
Sarawak, he said, through relevant ministries and agencies, has been collaborating and partnering with the experts around the world towards harnessing the full potential of our region, benefiting industry, innovation, and infrastructure development and paving the way for a brighter and more sustainable future, not only for the region but for the entire world.
Among those who present were the Deputy Minister of Economy Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib, who delivered her closing remarks; Deputy Minister for Utilities and Telecommunications Datuk Liwan Lagang; Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr. Hazland Abang Hipni.
The SDGs are based on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015.
At its core are the 17 SDGs, which provide a universal framework for addressing some of the world’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges, with the aim of creating a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
