KUCHING (July 8): Sarawak is going to produce 1.5 million tonnes of hydrogen for South Korea by 2027, said Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said by then, Sarawak is going to become a major producer of hydrogen for South Korea as part of the green energy section of the country.
“The South Korean government needs three million tonnes of hydrogen a year by 2030 — that is their target. Sarawak by 2027 will produce 1.5 million tonnes for South Korea.
“So this is what we are doing now — while other people are still busy setting targets, we are busy making it happen. That’s what people say: speak less, do more. Prove your actions, not just talk,” he said in his officiating speech at the 133rd Anniversary Celebration of Kuching Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCGCCI) cum the 10th Anniversary of Young Entrepreneurs Committee (YEC) at a hotel here on Friday night.
Dr Sim said that Sarawak will make use of its 1,500 oil wells that have been depleted over the last 100 years to store and capture the carbon back in the well.
“We have potentially nine billion tonnes of carbon storage because the well is there already. We continue to be good partners to our neighbour Nusantara because the Sarawak government, our Premier and (Indonesian) president Jokowi in March did the groundbreaking of the first hydroelectric power plant in Nusantara.
“The Sarawak government, to prove our sincerity, are taking 25 per cent equity — government to government — of the US$2.6 billion project because we want to show our sincerity that we are good partners and neighbours and we prosper together as a Borneo bloc like Jokowi said,” he said.
Dr Sim said that moving forward, Sarawak needs giants in the commerce industry to join in the effort to fulfill the state’s green agenda, not only in hydrogen and hydroelectricity but also in solar and so on.
“We need a lot of investment and manpower — in the Energy Asia (conference) last week, Petronas’ group CEO Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz said we need 200,000 jobs by 2030 and the majority of these jobs will be in Sarawak because only Sarawak has these programmes in place.
“I mean carbon capture, hydro, solar, hydrogen and so on. The other states are busy politicking, diversing and quarrelling. So I urge the industry to know where is Sarawak’s direction so we can work together because the best of Sarawak is yet to come,” he said.
Adding on, Dr Sim disclosed that Sarawak’s revenue for the first six months this year is almost the same as the amount of revenue for the whole of 2022, amounting to RM12 billion, which he attributed to the political stability and leadership under Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“This is just a glimpse of what Sarawak is doing and I hope that the Chamber of Commerce and everyone else can come and help. Let us continue to achieve our ‘Sarawak Golden Era’, which is by 2030 if not earlier.
“The only thing left is how to ensure your children share the same values as you rather than just sitting and waiting for inheritance. You don’t want to spoil them — you have to show them how to become competitive, so we can continue,” he said.
On the event, Dr Sim thanked the committee for organising the event and also welcomed delegates from outside Sarawak to the state.
“Thank you for doing Sarawak proud throughout the years. On behalf of the state government, my warmest congratulations for 133 years of social economic and nation building of Sarawak and being a partner in good and bad times,” he said.
Also present was KCGCCI president Datuk Tan Jit Kee and Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) president Tan Sri Dato Low Kian Chuan.
