Sarawak to develop hydrogen certification under state’s energy roadmap

KUCHING: Sarawak is developing its own hydrogen certification platform to boost trade and strengthen buyer confidence in hydrogen, says Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.

The Sarawak Premier said the certification would be aligned with international standards to ensure transparency and traceability.

“This platform can be a stepping stone for a broader regional collaboration to potentially establish an Asean-level certification platform for hydrogen,” he said in a keynote address at the World Hydrogen Asia conference in Tokyo on Thursday (July 10).

Abang Johari also said the hydrogen certification platform was part of the Sarawak Hydrogen Economy Roadmap, which aimed to position the state as a cost-competitive, reliable and scalable hydrogen producer.

He said collaboration was key to the success of the hydrogen economy, particularly in Asia.

Besides the certification platform, he called on countries in the region to work together on infrastructure, technology and human capital exchange.

“Rather than duplicating assets, let us explore co-investments in export terminals, storage facilities and conversion plants that benefit multiple countries in Asean and Asia-Pacific.

“We must build not only facilities but also skills and knowledge ecosystems. Shared research and development, joint training programmes and innovation clusters will accelerate our collective transition,” he said.

Expanding on the hydrogen economy roadmap, he said that Sarawak planned to scale up hydrogen hubs to achieve economies of scale for long-term viability.

“At the same time, we are accelerating domestic applications, particularly in transport and industrial use, to create immediate demand and ensure local value creation.

“Sarawak is also working tirelessly to secure long-term international offtake agreements, providing the confidence investors need to commit at scale.

“And critically, we are investing in technology and innovation, because we know continuous improvement is key to staying competitive in a rapidly evolving energy landscape,” he said.