Abang Johari visits ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and gives a speech on Sarawak's renewable energy progress. (Photo: Office of the Premier of Sarawak)
Sarawak, Malaysia, is determined to become ASEAN’s green hydrogen hub, leveraging its abundant hydropower resources and international collaborations to build a low-carbon hydrogen supply chain.
Recently, several Australian companies have expressed interest in joining the development efforts, highlighting the ongoing appeal of Sarawak's renewable energy projects to overseas investors.
Sarawak to establish green hydrogen supply chain
On Feb. 10, Sarawak’s premier Abang Johari delivered a speech at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, reaffirming the state’s plan to scale up renewable energy generation to 15GW by 2035. With the growing demand for clean energy in Asia, Sarawak is also expanding its commercial green hydrogen production.
Abang Johari emphasized Sarawak’s role as a leader in the Asia-Pacific green hydrogen economy, building partnerships with Japan, South Korea, and China to expand the hydrogen energy supply chain. If successful, projects such as H2ornbill and H2biscus, developed in collaboration with Japan and South Korea, could produce 240,000 tons of green hydrogen annually, surpassing Saudi Arabia's current production record.
He also mentioned that Sarawak would use the ASEAN Power Grid to enhance cross-border electricity connectivity and export green energy, aiming to become the “battery of ASEAN.” Additionally, Sarawak is utilizing carbon capture technologies to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and has already become one of Japan's key suppliers of low-carbon ammonia.
Sarawak's hydrogen plant, H2biscus, will produce ammonia for export to South Korea. (Image: Samsung E&A)
Australian firms bet on Sarawak’s green hydrogen
Sarawak’s renewable energy potential continues to attract multinational partnerships. In January, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with Australian mining giant Fortescue at the World Economic Forum, where they reached a preliminary agreement to invest in a green hydrogen center in Bintulu.
In addition, Rodger Chan Siong Boh, President of the Sarawak-Australia Business Chamber (SABC), recently shared on social media that two major Australian investment projects are set to be located in Sarawak, expected to invest billions of ringgits into the green magnesium and green hydrogen sectors.
Sarawak’s ambitious green hydrogen plans position it to potentially lead the development of green hydrogen in ASEAN. Christopher Len, a visiting scholar at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, believes that if Sarawak succeeds within the next two years, it will mark a significant step in Southeast Asia’s green hydrogen development and set a global milestone for industry.
Source: Sarawak Tribune, Borneo Post, The Star, Fulcrum
