Sarawak Advances Green Energy Initiative With Pilot Hydrogen Export Projects, Global Partnerships

KUCHING, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- Sarawak continues to strengthen its position as a regional green energy leader through pilot hydrogen export projects and strategic partnerships with foreign countries, said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said Sarawak is currently implementing a pilot project to export hydrogen in solid form to Singapore using magnesium hydride technology, which enables safer and more efficient transportation before the hydrogen is liquefied for use.

“We started hydrogen production with a small-scale plant, although the initial costs were high. However, like computer technology becoming cheaper over time, the cost of producing hydrogen is expected to decrease with advanced technologies including artificial intelligence (AI),” he said during a dialogue session at the Sustainability and Renewable Energy Forum (SAREF 4.0) here today.

Regarding international cooperation, Abang Johari said Sarawak is closely working with countries like Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates to advance hydrogen and renewable energy technologies.

“Together with Japan, we plan to produce 100,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually, with 90,000 tonnes exported to Japan and the remainder for local use,” he said.

Abang Johari said cooperation with South Korea includes renewable energy development, leveraging Sarawak’s rich natural gas reserves, which can be processed into green ammonia, an emerging alternative fuel gaining global attention.

“Sarawak is also conducting fusion energy research in the United Kingdom and collaborating with the United States on advanced energy technologies,” he added.

SAREF 4.0 is part of the official programme for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025, reinforcing Sarawak’s pivotal role as a catalyst in regional energy cooperation.

-- BERNAMA