Sibu, which has an established shipbuilding and ship repair industry that has successfully penetrated the international market, is able to play a role as a hub for bunkering facilities in Sarawak to supply green methanol to international shipping lines.
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said this is due to Sarawak's efforts to produce green methanol, which is in high demand internationally as the world is now turning to green energy.
According to him, shipping companies of present day are changing engines that use oil to those that use green methanol to power their ships, while most banks at the international level take into account the use of green energy when approving loans.
“Nowadays, Sibu produces a lot of ships and (owners) want to change from an engine that uses fuel oil to a methanol engine; so, of course they would need green methanol to run the ship.
“This means (the shipbuilding and ship repair industry in Sibu) will promote our port as the bunkering facility hub for international shipping lines,” he said in his speech at the SUPP Sibu Chinese New Year 2024 open house on Saturday (Feb 17) night.
He said Sarawak is taking active strides toward a green economy.
“It is indeed necessary to make an adjustable green economy policy that can be according to current needs and requirements,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari expressed confidence that Sarawak's revenue in 2024 will continue to record an increase compared to last year, when the state collected RM13 billion — up from RM11 billion in 2022.
In comparison, Sarawak was only able to record an income of RM6 billion in the preceding six years, the premier said.
Despite the higher income, he assured that Sarawak will not spend extravagantly, as part of it will be saved for future needs.
In fact, he noted that Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia that has a sovereign wealth fund.
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