BERLIN (Sept 9): The Sarawak government continues to make strides as a leader in green energy by exploring the potential for strategic cooperation with Siemens Energy, a global energy giant headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the Sarawak delegation’s visit to the Siemens Energy headquarters yesterday opened new opportunities for the state to gain experience and leverage the company’s advanced technology, particularly in hydrogen production.

He shared that the electrolyser technology developed by Siemens is capable of producing 350kg of hydrogen per hour, compared to Sarawak’s current capacity of around 130kg per day, and this capability is seen as an opportunity for the state to improve efficiency and expand hydrogen production capacity in the future.

“We have had discussions with the company and Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) together with the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication will study forms of cooperation in this process. This means we may learn from them and, in the future, see how things will develop,” he told the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) and TVS.

Abang Johari said apart from electrolyser technology, the Sarawak government is also interested in exploring cooperation in the areas of gas turbines as well as the development of the Siemens Innovation Center, which offers simulation facilities for research and development purposes.

He explained that Siemens’ gas turbine technology could be applied in Samalaju, Bintulu, where the turbines could be upgraded from time to time.

“Meanwhile, the simulation facilities at the Innovation Centre could potentially be utilised by users in Sarawak,” he said.

According to the Premier, the official working visit was highly meaningful as it opened doors to new cooperation in green energy, in line with Sarawak’s aspiration to become a leading player in the hydrogen industry in the region.

Among those in the Sarawak delegation were were Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi, Deputy Minister of Utility (Sarawak Energy and Petros) Datuk Ibrahim Baki, and SEB group chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili.

They met with Siemens Energy senior vice president and managing director for Asia Pacific Thorbjörn Fors and Siemens Energy executive vice president for Global Functions Juha Pankakoski.