Ambassador of South Korea to Malaysia Lee Chi-beom (left) presents a memento to Abang Johari. – Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING (June 9): Sarawak has been identified as one of the potential regions in the world for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
According to him, CCUS can fast track the growth of Southeast Asia economies on the path to net-zero emissions.
“CCUS goes beyond fossil fuel applications and contribute to emissions reductions of the power and industrial assets, while underpinning new economic opportunities associated with the production of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia,” he said today.
He said this in his keynote address during the Sarawak-Korea Business Forum 2022 themed ‘Accelerating The Sarawak-Korea Strategic Energy Partnership’ at the Waterfront Hotel here.
Abang Johari said Sarawak had recently passed the Land Code (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which gives the state better position to develop CCUS as a powerful mitigation technology towards low-carbon economy.
As such, he welcomes South Korean companies to work with Sarawak to explore the potentials in CCUS.
According to him, the opportunity lies in the initial stage of capturing and separating carbon dioxide (CO2) from processing and production of the green ammonia, methanol or from the combustion fuel gases.
“The CO2 that is captured is then compressed into a liquid or supercritical fluid, ready for transportation.
“I believe the co-operation between Korea and Sarawak will enable faster and more efficient deployment of CCUS for development CO2 transport and storage infrastructure,” he said.
As Sarawak transforms and pushes towards sustainable energy powerhouse, Abang Johari said regional and international partnerships are instrumental in ensuring energy security and reliability.
He said Sarawak welcomes partnerships across the value chain.
“Together, I believe there are plenty of exciting opportunities we can capture and realise. And together, we can press on in our charge towards addressing climate change and creating a sustainable energy future for us all.
“We assure you that we have put in place robust policies and procedures to ensure integrity, transparency and good governance that will certainly improve the ease of doing business in Sarawak,” he added.
He believed that this platform marks the beginning to a robust collaboration between Sarawak and Korea in energy development.