KUCHING: Sarawak is working towards adapting bioenergy technologies to enhance its renewable energy generation capability.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the Drax facility in the United Kingdom (UK) had successfully transitioned from coal to biomass as a source of energy and serves as a model of sustainable energy practices.
Drax is the second largest producer of sustainable biomass globally.
He said the company’s impressive output of approximately 3.9 gigawatts (GW) was primarily from wood waste imported from Canada and the United States.
“Therefore, there are many new things that we can learn here,” he told the media at the end of his visit to Drax Power Station in the UK yesterday to gain insight into the operation of the biggest renewable power generation facility in the UK.
He said Sarawak could benefit from the technology used at Drax to convert biomass into energy.
The Premier also drew parallels between the old coal technologies previously used at the Drax facility and the potential adaptations for Sarawak.
“This is an old power plant that now uses biomass instead of coal. We could develop a new, more efficient power plant tailored to the availability of our local resources.
“We aim to produce renewable energy from the resources we have,” he added.
As Sarawak looks to enhance its renewable energy capabilities, Abang Johari believed the insight gained from the Drax Power Station provides a valuable framework for developing energy solutions that are both sustainable and suited to the state’s unique geographic and economic landscape.
He said the potential for utilising local biomass waste for energy aligns with global environmental goals and offers a pathway to energy self-sufficiency for Sarawak.
Owned and operated by Drax Power, a subsidiary of Drax Group, the plant generates approximately 18TWh of electricity a year, which accounts for 6 per cent of the UK’s total electricity supply.
The four biomass-fired units of the plant provide 2.6GW, which constitutes approximately 12 per cent of the UK’s total renewable power supply, while the two remaining coal-fired units, capable of generating a total of 1.3GW, are planned to be replaced with two 1.8GW gas-fired combined-cycle units by 2025.
Abang Johari was accompanied during the visit by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, and Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
Abang Johari and the Sarawak government delegation are currently on a working visit the UK and are scheduled to witness the signing and exchange of memorandums of understanding between Sarawak’s SMD Semiconductor and Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult at the House of Commons, the UK Parliament on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Abang Johari will depart for Poland to attend the Hydrogen Technology Forum where he will share Sarawak’s perspective on transitioning to renewable energy and environmental sustainability.
