Hazland: Sarawak unveils comprehensive four-pillar strategy to lead hydrogen economy

KUCHING (Oct 23): Sarawak government has laid down a comprehensive four-pillar framework to ensure smooth implementation and development of the hydrogen economy, said Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni.

He said the legal aspect of the framework established policies, regulations and governance to guide the hydrogen ecosystem; the technical framework is to ensure state-of-the-art technologies are deployed for production, storage and transportation of hydrogen; while financial and business framework aimed at attracting investments and creating business models to support sustainable hydrogen ventures; and human resource and talent development framework is focussed on building a skilled workforce and fostering talent in hydrogen-related fields.

Hazland outlined this in his keynote address entitled ‘Hydrogen Horizon: Engineering Excellence and Project Synergy for a Sustainable Future’ at the H2 Asia Conference 2024 held at the Intercontinental Hotel Kuala Lumpur today.

He also highlighted Sarawak’s leadership in advancing hydrogen as a key energy source for the future by establishing a well-planned hydrogen roadmap till 2030 and beyond.

Collaborating with SEDC Energy and Lestari H2 Gaas in setting up its own Electrolyser Assembly and Distribution Facility (SEA-DF), Sarawak has become the first state in Malaysia to have such facility in Malaysia, he said.

Hazland also said that Sarawak is developing commercial scale Green Hydrogen Plant and Clean Ammonia Plant in collaboration with Japan and Korea, namely ‘Project H2ornbill’ and ‘Project H2Biscus’, respectively.

He also said multifuel stations is one of the projects under Hydrogen Roadmap of Sarawak that is developing the first public Hydrogen Refuelling station for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Sarawak.

“The future of sustainable energy lies in synergy between governments, industries, and institutions. Sarawak’s frameworks are not just plans; they are pillars of commitment toward achieving a sustainable energy transition,” he stressed.

The highly anticipated H2 Asia Conference organised by ApexOne Asia attracted 160 delegates from all over Asia.

Participating companies include industry giants such as Petronas, Gentari, Rystad Energy, and many more, underscoring the growing importance of hydrogen in the energy transition.

It brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the region.

Aiming at fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing in hydrogen technologies, with Sarawak positioned as a regional leader in green hydrogen initiatives, the conference discussed topics such as hydrogen infrastructure, financing models, and public-private partnerships, reflecting Asia’s growing focus on sustainable energy transitions and hydrogen as a key enabler.

The conference was launched by His Excellency Morton Paulson, Norwegian ambassador to Malaysia and Brunei.

The event organising chairman was Ir Surendran Kandasamy, head of Hydrogen Energy Transition Solutions at Petronas.

Hazland’s keynote address set the tone for the region’s push toward sustainable energy development and hydrogen innovation.