Biohub Port to be a growth engine for green innovations in Sarawak

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The MOU e-signing ceremony between (clockwise, from top right) Naser, Andre, Wong and Mohamad Medan with regards to Biohub Port and Industrial Estate Development in Sarawak.

KUCHING: Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM), Regal Lands Sdn Bhd (Regal), Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (BPHB) and the Port of Rotterdam (PoR) signed a MoU for the setting up of a Biohub Port and Industrial Estate Development in Bintulu.

The MoU focuses on identifying a suitable location for developing a Biohub project in close cooperation with Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd.

Present at the virtual signing was AIM chief executive officer Naser Jaafar, Regal International Group executive director Wong Pak Kiong; BPHB group chief executive officer Datuk Mohammad Medan Abdullah, and PT Pelabuhan Rotterdam Indonesia managing director André Toet.

On this move, Naser said, “The BioHub concept is something the AIM National Biomass Strategy team have advocated for, and they have spent significant time and effort to find the right fit of stakeholders who are aligned to the vision. We strongly believe in the BioHub concept and today with trust from partners and stakeholders, this concept is being advanced to the next phase in its implementation.

“We have been supporting this project since the start and have committed to sustain our efforts to work with like-minded stakeholders and strong implementation partners to make this vision a reality. This will be exciting times for the state of Sarawak, as we may well witness something that could be a game changer.”

Regal’s Wong said the collaboration marks a new direction not just for his company but also for Sarawak.

“Our traditional business focuses on development and construction, especially for residential and commercial properties. Now we have made a strategic decision to undertake a development work that synergises with Sarawak’s vast land resources, which will help Sarawak’s economic growth and sustainability.

“With AIM, we started exploring the Bioport and BioHub model as a possible economic growth engine. Biomass resources, which is critical to Bioport and BioHub, is abundant in Sarawak.

“This will enable Sarawak to have an edge in the biomass industry while helping to level the playing field for the State to enter into a frontier industry and create good job opportunities for Sarawakians and become another avenue for wealth creation for Sarawak businesses.

“With the right ecosystem in place, we are optimistic about the success of this project and Regal should benefit as a pioneer for this new frontier in Sarawak.”

Meanwhile, Bintulu Port looked forward to exploring the potential cooperation and business growth in this Biohub Project, according to Mohammad, with all parties leveraging on the strategic location of the two ports currently being operated by the group.

“The move to embark on this project is also in line with our Bintulu Port Group Smart Digital Green Port (SDGP) Blueprint initiative,” he added.

“With this cooperation, we foresee greater achievements within the aspirations of the SDGP Blueprint for the Port to transform its operations, energy efficiency, management and organisation and its approach to the environment.

“The deliverables of the project will no doubt contribute to the State and Nation in terms of economic benefits and realising of sustainability goals.”