KUCHING: Sarawak is ready to play a bigger role in the regional energy landscape by sharing surplus electricity supply, especially renewable energy, with neighbouring ASEAN countries.

Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg said Sarawak has strong natural resources to generate hydroelectric power and has the potential to contribute not only to the state, but also to Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region.

Presently, he explained, the Sarawak Government plans to increase energy supply to 10 gigawatts by 2030 with at least 3 gigawatts to be added in the next four years.

"Currently, we are building a 1.5 gigawatt gas turbine plant, which is 1,000 megawatts in Bintulu and 500 megawatts in Miri.

"I have just returned from Baleh, Kapit, where another hydro plant is being built which will generate 1.2 gigawatts.

"With this project, in the next four years, we will be able to add another 3 gigawatts to the existing installed capacity of 7 gigawatts.

"Sarawak is a small state with a population of over 2.8 million people, so if we have excess energy, we are ready to share it with our brothers and sisters in the ASEAN region," he said.

He said this when speaking at the 43rd ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME) official dinner at a leading hotel here on Monday.

Touching on the issue of global climate change, Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari stressed that the world must look towards finding alternatives to hydrocarbon fuels to achieve the low carbon footprint target.

He said, Sarawak is trying its best to utilise existing resources and explore new technologies to produce alternative energy by using hydrogen as one of the alternative energy sources.

"Currently, we are working with partners including Japan and Korea to produce hydrogen from our water resources.

"This is because we have five dams, and we are confident that with the water supply (H2O) from these dams, we can separate hydrogen and oxygen molecules through the electrolysis process.

"Although currently this process is expensive, we believe that technology will develop and the cost of producing hydrogen through a new membrane in the electrolysis process will become more affordable and practical as an alternative energy source," he explained.

Additionally, Sarawak is also collaborating with Gentari Petronas, Japan and Siemens in an effort to explore hydrogen production technology.

He further highlighted next year as a special moment for Sarawak with the launch of the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) public transport system that utilises hydrogen, making it the first in the region.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof as well as senior officials from ASEAN member countries. -UKASnews