Hydrogen-based GREEN ECONOMY
Sarawak aims to become a leader in hydrogen-based green economy in Malaysia capitalizing on Sarawak’s abundant water resources. The Right Honourable Premier’s decision to tap hydrogen is highly beneficial for Sarawak’s economic growth because the projected reduction in renewable energy and electrolyser costs, as well as the need for deeper decarbonisation of all economic sectors, is driving the emergence of a global market for green hydrogen and its derivatives.
Sarawak has started several projects focused on reducing its reliance on fossil fuel and amount of carbon footprint through the use of clean hydroelectric power resources and turning hydrogen into a primary fuel for transportation and energy storage, aiming to begin large-scale commercial production and export of hydrogen by 2027.
Hydrogen can be produced from diverse, domestic resources. Currently, most hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, specifically natural gas. Electricity – from the grid or from renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, or biomass – is also currently used to produce hydrogen.
HYDROPOWER
The Right Honourable Premier’s farsighted vision for Sarawak’s future compelled him to make the bold decision of making Sarawak’s government buy over the rights to the Bakun Dam from the Federal government in 2018. Such a bold and decisive move is founded on his convictions that:
HYDROPOWER
“an economy which has plenty of energy is an economy that has the best potential for growth in the long run. Our challenge now is to harness that great potential for growth using our energy resources. To be able to harness the full potential of growth for Sarawak is to have greater autonomy over our own destiny. We must decide on our destiny here in Sarawak, not somebody else deciding for us.”
BLUE ECONOMY
There are several definitions of the Blue Economy, with the World Bank stating it as “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem”, while the United Nations puts it as an economy that “comprises a range of economic sectors and related policies that together determine whether the use of ocean resources is sustainable.”
In Sarawak’s context, the Blue Economy encompasses all economic activities in ocean and coastal areas. Together with the Green Economy, the implementation of Blue Economy will help increase and sustain the State’s revenue.
ECO-FRIENDLY Transport System: Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART)
Expected to be the world’s first public transit system to use hydrogen fuel cell-powered trackless vehicles that will run on dedicated lanes. The ART is at the centre of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) Project that will start with Phase 1, which covers a 70km route over three lines – Blue Line, Red Line and Green Line – in Greater Kuching.
