Masterplan to boost devt of petro-chemical clusters
MIRI: A logistic masterplan to boost development of petrochemical clusters industry in Sarawak will be drawn up.
Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this is necessary as the biggest undertaking for the future development of downstream oil and gas industry and its numerous clusters in the state.
The Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of International Trade, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development was asked on the scope of the Industrial Terminal portfolio in his ministry following the last cabinet reshuffle.
“We have the resources and we want to make sure that Sarawak will go further in downstream industries for the benefit of Sarawakians and the state,” he explained.
He said the ministry will focus on integration of the various sectors in oil and gas industry: from refinery to downstream cluster industries in its aim to make the state a petro-chemical hub in this region.
On the Industrial Terminal portfolio, he said it would cover the spectrum of oil and gas industry which includes supply base, refinery and cluster industries development.
“It would be looking at holistic development of infrastructure including dedicated petroleum and petrochemical storage terminals and jetties that could provide a competitive edge in meeting the demand of different operators of the cluster industries,” he explained.
The deputy chief minister also said integration of storage terminals with jetties is critical as all the sectors - from refinery, methanol and other petrochemical clusters - are interrelated.
“The aim is boosting petrochemical downstream industries and production of value-added products such as nylon and plastics which Sarawak is capable of.
“The petro-chemical industry would be a major economic engine in the state with several international players making their presence in the state,” he added.
He also said Beijing BecaSciTech Co Ltd (Beca) had planned to invest about US$5 billion (RM20.8 billion) in an integrated petrochemical complex in Lawas and a feasibility study is currently underway.
A tripartite memorandum of understanding ( MoU) between the Sarawak government, Beca and Sinopec Engineering Inc was signed in June this year.
Beca is a petrochemical investor and Sinopec is its technical partner.
The proposed refinery and chemical integration complex, which will be implemented in stages, is scheduled to commence production in 2022.
The complex will include a world-class deep catalytic cracking ( DCC) and associated olefin derivative unit.
Awang Tengah also said a RM8.4-billion methanol plant project will be implemented in Bintulu.
The methanol and derivative project is one of the initiatives of the state government to embark on more downstream value-adding petro-chemical industries.
Other projects being planned are an ammonia and derivative plant in Bintulu which is home to three liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants and nine LNG trains as well as Shell MDS plant, which produces gasoline, kerosene, distillate fuel oil and lubricants.
We have the resources and we want to make sure that Sarawak will go further in downstream industries for the benefit of Sarawakians and the state.
Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan