Oil-rich Sarawak wants greater investments in renewable energy

[BANGKOK] The Malaysian state of Sarawak, a major supplier of fossil fuels for much of the past century, is making a rapid shift to renewable energy and hopes to become a regional provider of hydropower in the near future, said the state’s premier at an energy conference in Thailand.

“Sarawak is giving priority to investment in renewable energy, particularly in renewable hydropower to propel our growth going forward,” said Abang Johari Openg on the third and final day of the Future Energy Asia event in Bangkok on Friday (May 17).

The state, which has been producing oil and gas since 1910, has made rapid advances in its renewable energy push, going from reliance on fossil fuels for 92 per cent of its domestic energy needs in 2010, to a nearly 60 per cent reliance on hydropower in 2023.