Premier: Sarawak's energy policies to unlock up to RM430 bln investments, create 44,000 jobs
Abang Johari says the initiatives form part of Sarawak's broader strategy to become a regional renewable energy powerhouse. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (May 28): The Sarawak government's new energy policies are expected to unlock investment opportunities worth between RM350 billion and RM430 billion, while creating approximately 44,000 new high-value jobs in the energy sector for Sarawakians.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the initiatives form part of Sarawak's broader strategy to become a regional renewable energy powerhouse.
'These jobs will be generated by new industries, which can boost opportunities for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), attract domestic and foreign direct investments, and strengthen our regional and global competitiveness,' he said in his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.
He added that the policies would also support Sarawak's long-term goals of economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and energy security.
Among the key policies to be introduced are the Sarawak Hydrogen Economy Roadmap, the Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint, the Sarawak Energy Transition Policy (SET-P), and the Sarawak Energy Efficiency Roadmap.
Abang Johari said energy security is a cornerstone of Sarawak's ambition for rapid and inclusive economic development, especially as demand rises with the state's growing population and industrial base.
He noted that Sarawak has set a target for renewable energy to account for 60 to 70 per cent of its energy mix by 2035, in line with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and the forthcoming SET-P.
'Sarawak is developing four strategic energy hubs – the Renewable Energy Hub, Natural Gas Hub, Hydrogen Hub, and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Hub – each playing a complementary role in ensuring long-term energy security,' he said.
To support the state's ambition of achieving 10 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2030 and 15GW by 2035, Abang Johari said the state will continue to develop renewable energy projects through the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.
He also announced a major restructuring of Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), which will see the separation of power generation and distribution. Under this model, the private sector will participate in power generation, while SEB will remain the single buyer for electricity distribution.
'SEB must be empowered to evolve in support of Sarawak's energy ambitions. This restructuring is key to ensuring SEB is fully able to drive Sarawak's vision of becoming both a Battery of Asean and a renewable energy powerhouse,' he said.
He highlighted that large-scale solar, bioenergy, and waste-to-energy projects are already drawing strong private sector interest, but infrastructural challenges such as feedstock aggregation and grid modernisation must be addressed.
In a further move to bolster Sarawak's position in the global energy market, Abang Johari said Sarawak is advancing hydrogen-ready technologies, including a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) facility, to improve energy efficiency and enhance interconnections with neighbouring regions like Sabah and Brunei.
On the international front, the Premier said the World Economic Forum (WEF) has recognised Sarawak's leadership in the green transition and invited him to present Sarawak's energy agenda at the WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China on June 26.
He also revealed that Bintulu has been nominated as Malaysia's first candidate for the WEF's Transitioning Industrial Cluster (TIC) initiative.
'Transitioning industrial clusters are geographic areas where co-located businesses and industries collaborate to transition from traditional practices to cleaner, low-carbon operations aligned with net-zero goals,' he said.
'We are not just preparing for recognition in Davos early next year, we are laying the foundation for Sarawak to stand among global leaders in shaping the low-carbon industrial future,' he added. abang johari DUN lead new energy
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