S’wak to work with Australia’s VH2 to explore, develop hydrogen economy in state

KUCHING: Sarawak will work with Australia’s Victorian Hydrogen Hub (VH2) to explore and develop the hydrogen economy in the state.

The state government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Melbourne on Tuesday (March 15) with Swinburne University of Technology, which leads VH2 with funding from the Victorian state government in Australia.

Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, who witnessed the signing ceremony, said the state’s vision was to develop a hydrogen-driven economy and be a clean hydrogen-producing hub in the region.

“Security of energy supply and climate change represent two major concerns about the future of the energy sector, giving rise to the challenge of finding the best way to rein in emissions while providing the energy required to sustain economies.

“Hydrogen is attractive because whether it is burned to produce heat or reacts with air in a fuel cell to produce electricity, the only by-product is water,” he said.

The MOU was signed by Swinburne president and vice-chancellor Prof Pascale Quester and Sarawak’s Economic Planning Unit director Datuk Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel.

Abdullah said renewable energy was a key growth sector of Sarawak’s post-Covid-19 development strategy, with clean hydrogen seen as a versatile energy carrier.

“Through this partnership, the state government is looking forward to greater cooperation in the hydrogen economy,” he said.

VH2 is a collaboration between Swinburne, Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Germany’s Arena 2036 to explore new business models, seek community insights on the applications of hydrogen, investigate regulatory and safety requirements, identify training needs of the future workforce and develop new technologies, products and services to create jobs and strengthen the local industry.

Through the MOU, both parties hope to address research and human capital challenges and support sustainable manufacturing practices as well as the ability to store clean energy from renewable sources.

The collaboration will focus on research and innovation for the hydrogen economy, human capital development and Industry 4.0 testbed for hydrogen manufacturing and supply chain.

It will also work towards global hydrogen connectivity through technology adoption, globally-aligned policy and regulatory frameworks, investments and partnerships and new businesses and services in the hydrogen economy.