Deputy Premier in Sweden to explore sustainable forestry collaboration
By DayakDaily Team KUCHING, April 28: Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan had a networking session with Business Sweden, an agency that promotes Swedish companies’ global growth and foreign direct investors’ expansion in Sweden.Awang Tengah was in Stockholm for a two-day working visit to promote Sarawak as an investment destination for Swedish investors, as well as to explore opportunities for collaboration in forest management, plantation, and technology to process planted timber species. According to a press release, the Deputy Premier was briefed by Swedish Forest Agencies, Swedish Wood Building Council, Ecco Innovation Foundation, and Billerud on topics such as the development of forest industries in Sweden, the use of engineered wood to construct timber structures, Ecco Innovation Foundation collaboration with other countries in Southeast Asia, and the pulp and paper industry.The industry has a structured mission to achieve a circular bio-based society for Sweden. During the same session, Paul Valentine, General Manager of Sarawak Planted Forest Sdn Bhd, provided an overview of the development status of planted forests in Sarawak, as well as opportunities for future collaborations and investments in digital technology, mechanisation for planted forest harvesting, and the production of high value-added products such as pulp, paper, engineered wood, and biomass fuel for the Swedish business communities. The Deputy Premier invited the Swedish business community to consider investing in Sarawak’s forestry, forest plantation, and wood-related industries. He pointed out that Sarawak is transitioning to a sustainable and renewable wood-based industry that uses material from forest plantations to produce engineered wood, biomass fuels, pulp, and paper.Sarawak also a geographic advantage because it is close to large markets with high growth rates, such as China, Japan, India, South Korea and Australia. Meanwhile, Business Sweden sees potential opportunities in Sarawak for research and innovation, digital forest management applications, forest industries for wood structure construction, and human capital development, according to the press release. Business Sweden, in collaboration with industries and agencies, will continue to engage in dialogues with Sarawak to identify areas of mutual interest that can be considered and implemented in the future. Also present during the working visit were Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Joachim Bengstrom; Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration, and Natural Resources, Datuk Len Talif Salleh; Advisor to the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, and Investment (MINTRED), Dato Sri Mohd Naroden; Director of Forests, Datu Hamden Mohammad; Permanent Secretary of MINTRED, Dzulkornain Masron; General Manager of Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC), Zainal Abidin Abdullah; Advisor to STIDC, Datu Hashim Bojet; CEO of Invest Sarawak Timothy Ong; and CEO of PUSAKA Capital Sdn Bhd, Mohd Nor Topek Julaihi. – DayakDaily
Premier: Sarawak to replace coal with biomass at Sejingkat, Balingian power plants
KUCHING (April 28): Sarawak plans to replace the use of coal at the Sejingkat and Balingian power plants with biomass, in line with the state’s efforts to develop clean and sustainable energy, says Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. Speaking to reporters after gracing the national-level World Water Day celebration at Kuching Waterfront today, the Sarawak Premier said doing so would not only reduce carbon emission but also provide economic benefits. He cited the Drax facility in the United Kingdom, which he visited recently during an official trip to the UK, as an example of a power plant successfully transitioning from coal to biomass as a source of energy. “At Drax, they previously used coal but have now replaced it with biomass. The investment (to change) is not high because the system is very similar. “This is what we want to use for Sejinkat and Balingian. We want to decommission coal. I have calculated that we can use our biomass to generate power,” he said. Abang Johari explained that switching from coal to wood waste could generate power exceeding 500 megawatts. “Now we only need to strengthen the boiler and also from the point of view of the motor machine, and this will enable Sejingkat (plant) to generate even up to one gigawatt,” he said. Touching on his visit to the Drax power station, the Premier said the insight he gained has provided him a valuable framework in further developing the state’s renewable energy sector, adding he will discuss this with state utility company Sarawak Energy Berhad. He also expressed happiness that the European community has recognised Sarawak’s role in addressing climate change. “We will share the technology we have in renewable energy production including biomass,” he said. Separately, Abang Johari said the implementation of cascading dams in the hinterland will be carried out elsewhere if the local population objected to it. “If they disagree, the government will move (the project) to another area. If they feel suspicious, we will go to another place where the people want (the project to be implemented). “Now we are implementing the project near Sungai Kanowit and Song. In Kapit, they want this cascading source, and we have a new technology that I mentioned as a tank elevator. “This depends on the theory of gravity, which means that the flow of water can generate energy,” he said. Also present at the event were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Sri Julaihi Narawi and his deputy minister Datuk Liwan Lagang, and Fadillah’s deputy minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
