KUCHING: Sarawak has the natural resources to sustain its hydrogen industry and avoid the setbacks experienced by other countries, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said there were concerns about the cost of hydrogen and noted that some countries had failed in the industry due to a lack of necessary feedstock.
“They do not have the hydrogen, that’s why they failed. And they had to import it, and the cost was high.
“But we are blessed in the month of Ramadan that Sarawak has the feedstock because of the availability of our resources,” he added.
He said this during the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Integrity Day and breaking of fast event at a hotel here last night (Mar 15).
Abang Johari, who is also the Finance and New Economy Minister, explained that hydrogen can be extracted from water, using hydropower as a renewable energy source.
“We can even produce another type of hydrogen through synthetic gas,” he added.
He said by combining hydrogen with carbon, methane can be produced, leading to multiple byproducts in the process.
“Last night, I spoke to someone knowledgeable in chemistry, and they mentioned two products. But I pointed out that there are actually seven byproducts along the chain,” he said.
Given this potential, he stressed the importance of developing a skilled workforce and scientific expertise to maximise the benefits of hydrogen technology.
“We must have our workforce, skilled labour, and scientists who can add value to this extensive chain.
“When you mix two molecules (hydrogen and carbon) and produce methane, and with that methane, we can generate energy,” said Abang Johari.
