KUCHING: Sarawak is well-positioned to capitalise on the global energy transition as it possesses abundant water resources, hydrogen and deuterium (a stable isotope of hydrogen).
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said these natural advantages place Sarawak in a strong position as countries worldwide shift away from fossil fuels in response to climate change and pursue cleaner, more sustainable energy sources.
He said climate change has reshaped the global economic landscape, turning challenges into opportunities, as highlighted during the recent COP30 climate summit held in Belém, Brazil.
“In Sarawak, we responded by introducing our own environmental policy as one of the three pillars under the Post-COVID Development Strategy (PCDS),” he said in his speech during the Kenyalang Journalism Award (KJA) prize giving ceremony last night (Dec 21).
Abang Johari said Sarawak’s early move into hydrogen energy, while initially met with scepticism, is now aligned with global trends, with hydrogen increasingly recognised as one of the cleanest alternative energy sources.
“China, which initially focused on electric vehicles, is now shifting towards hydrogen. Japan and South Korea are also moving in the same direction, while Europe is actively exploring hydrogen energy,” he said.
Abang Johari pointed out that the United States is investing in fusion energy, which uses hydrogen atoms known as deuterium to generate power and is considered safer than conventional nuclear energy.
“For Sarawak, we have water, we have hydrogen, and we have deuterium. In other words, we have the resources. What we need now is the brain,” he said.
To strengthen human capital, Abang Johari highlighted Sarawak’s free tertiary education initiative at state-owned universities, aimed at producing technocrats who can add value to the state’s natural resources and support long-term economic development.
“That will be the future of Sarawak’s economic development,” he said.
The Premier also reiterated Sarawak’s ambition to become a key energy player in the ASEAN region, noting that the state is already supplying electricity to Indonesia and plans to expand energy sharing with Sabah, Brunei and Singapore.
“When ASEAN leaders talk about the ASEAN power grid, Sarawak is already part of that grid,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with Singapore, Abang Johari said the country’s economic success was driven by human capital as much as natural resources.
“Singapore has no resources, but it has brain power. Sarawak has the resources. If we strengthen our brain power, Sarawak can reach first-world status,” he said.
