Malaysian state launches Sarawak H2 Hub with JV creation

A hydrogen hub initiative in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, to be developed by a joint venture between SEDC Energy Sdn Bhd and Gentari Sdn Bhd, was launched today by the Sarawak premier.

There was a ceremony to mark the creation of the joint venture at the Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen 2024 Conference and Exhibition in Kuching.

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The Sarawak H2 Hub uses a modular approach to integrate hydrogen production units and is set to include two projects to develop hydrogen derivative facilities in partnership with Japanese and South Korean companies: H2ornbill, a collaboration with Japanese firms ENEOS and Sumitomo Corp, and H2biscus, a partnership with South Korean firms Samsung Engineering, Lotte Chemical and KNOC.

“With the ‘plug and play’ concept, we can also invite more investors or partners into Sarawak,” Robert Hardin, chief executive of SEDC Energy, said in an announcement by the joint venture partners today.

The joint venture will be set up by SEDC Energy, a subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation, as the majority shareholder, and Gentari Hydrogen Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Gentari, which is the clean energy platform of Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas. It follows the signing of a heads of agreement earlier this year.

According to the announcement, the Sarawak H2 Hub will be a facility for standardising and optimising all hydrogen production projects in the Bintulu area, besides operating as the sole supplier of green hydrogen for downstream facilities in the region.

It is in line with Sarawak’s ambition to become a commercial hydrogen producer by 2027.