SEDC inks agreement to purchase hydrogen fuel cell buses
KUCHING: Sarawak Economic Development Corporation ( SEDC) has entered into a sales and purchase agreement with Foshan Feichi Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd ( Foshan Feichi) of China for the purchase of hydrogen fuel cell city buses.
Its general manager Datu Soedirman Aini, who announced this, said the agreement signing ceremony was held at Yufu City in Guangdong, China recently.
“It is another memorable milestone for SEDC Sarawak and we are pleased to announce the official signing of the sales and purchase agreement for the delivery of the hydrogen cell buses which will be delivered to us in Kuching city,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The use of the hydrogen- cell buses is also in line with the implementation of the proposed green and environmental-friendly public transportation in Sarawak as envisioned by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Sarawak is aiming to become the first in this region to use non- carbon emission buses and possibly the first state in Malaysia in line with the global trend towards environmental protection and compliance.
Soedirman said Malaysia, or Sarawak in particular, has abundant hydropower resources which can be used to sustain the usage of hydrogen fuel cell buses that are both economical and environmental friendly.
“On top of that, this will also offer cheaper costs of operation for such services to cover major areas including better mileage when using hydrogen cells instead of traditional fossil fuel.”
The cost of such public transportation is expected to be cheaper, considering the fact that hydrogen is extracted from water and is unlike other type of buses where cost is tied up to the global price of fossil fuel.
Soedirman also disclosed that the agreement, among others, will pave the way for cooperation between SEDC Sarawak and Foshan Feichi in the proposed development of the inter- city hydrogen cell bus services covering all major transportation routes in the state.
Meanwhile, the first batch of the hydrogen fuel- cell buses is expected to make their debut service on the roads in Kuching city by March 2019.
This was announced by Abang Johari in September this year after witnessing the signing of memorandum of understanding ( MoU) between SEDC Sarawak and Foshan Feishi for the supply and delivery of the hydrogen fuel cell buses.
According to him, the Sarawak government will try out with an initial three units of the buses as part of its pilot project and research that is aimed at improving and providing better public transportation system to the locals.