Sarawak Energy garners global recognition for leadership in renewable energy devt
KUCHING:
The annual Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2020 held recently highlighted Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB)’s emerging regional leadership in renewable energy development.
SEB group chief executive officer (CEO) Datu Sharbini Suhaili was part of a high-profile panel group representing the energy sector at the ‘ Second Global Ministerial Conference on System Integration of Renewables’.
James Ung, the CEO of SEB Power – the group’s generation arm – was a panellist for the session on ‘Regional Interconnectivity in the LowCarbon Energy Transition’ during SIEW 2020.
Sharbini’s presentation on ‘Accelerating Investment in Renewable Electricity Technology and Infrastructure’ was about ministerial delegates and corporate leaders addressing measures undertaken by governments and the private sector to enhance renewable electricity uptake and integration against the backdrop of a global economy affected by the Covid19 pandemic.
The session was moderated by Dr Peter Kaderjak, who is the Minister of State, Ministry of Energy and Climate Affairs of Hungary.
Sharbini spoke about Sarawak and SEB’s related efforts, where he also highlighted the lessons learnt from the state’s renewable energy development journey.
Highlighting SEB’s role as implementer in delivering Sarawak government’s vision of achieving developed status by 2030 through hydro industrialis at ion under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), he emphasised the importance of multi-sector collaboration in creating a sustainable energy future.
“The Year 2020 and the current crisis provide a new
set of challenges as well as opportunities.
“Sarawak is ahead of the curve as we have a strategy, blueprint, identified players and potential markets and most importantly, the understanding of what needs to be done in the development of renewable energy to progress the green agenda in Sarawak and the region,” said Sharbini.
Earlier this year, Chief Minister of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg formed the Sarawak Economic Action Council to develop strategies,
policies and roadmaps meant to accelerate Sarawak’s economic growth in the face of current challenges.
The council has 14 sectors, with Sharbini leading the ‘Renewable Energy’ sector.
Other speakers at the session included Singapore’s Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr Tan See Leng; The Phillipines’ Secretary of Energy, Alfonso G Cusi; Poland’s Minister for Climate and Environment, Michal Kurtyka; Portugal’s
Minister for Environment and Climate Action, Joao Pedro Matos Fernandes; and Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Deputy SecretaryGeneral, Timo Tatar.
Asean was represented by Asean Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi.
Meanwhile in his session on Oct 26, Ung shared with the audience SEB’s Borneo Grid aspiration and interconnection initiatives, which he said should be a part of the solution to share electricity generated from renewable resources.
“Sarawak Energy commenced the export to West Kalimantan in 2016, marking the first major milestone on the journey towards materialising the vision of a cross-border (power) connectivity within Borneo – or the ‘Borneo Grid’.
“Sarawak’s shift to hydropower from hydrocarbons about a decade ago has significantly reduced our carbon emission intensity by about 76.5 per cent. Through our existing and planned interconnections, we can share our renewable energy resources with our neighbours and further contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions in the region, improve the reliability of the network, as well as bilaterally optimise operation costs,” he explained.
Themed ‘ Creating Our Low Carbon Energy Future Together’, SIEW 2020 served as a high-level discourse on global renewable energy solutions – convening political, business, academic and energy industry thought-leaders to advance solutions and actions across the energy spectrum of oil and gas, clean and renewable energy, and energy infrastructure financing.
The conference, which ran from Oct 26 to 30, was held as a hybrid event due to the current Covid19 pandemic, with participants being able to attend the sessions physically or virtually.