Sarawak designs three waste combustion plants, with a capacity of 1,330 MW

KUCHING, Sept. 17: Sarawak plans to develop three waste-to-energy plants in the northern, central and southern parts of the state to generate power with a capacity of up to 1,330 megawatts (MW).

Sarawak Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, said the development of the plant will be supported by satellite collection centres to ensure that remnants from surrounding areas are collected and disseminated more systematically.

"As you can see, the potential amount of energy that we produce is through the combustion process.

"From municipal waste, wood residues, biomass, animal residue, industrial waste, including your machinery and so on", he said while addressing the BidMyAsset Borneo inaugural meeting here today.

Dr Hazland said the approach not only has the potential to generate new energy sources, but also helps address waste management issues in Sarawak.

He said the effort was in line with the state's circular economy and environmental sustainability agenda, as well as potentially reducing waste to be disposed of.

Meanwhile, he said the Sarawak Government is moving towards enforcement of policy related to waste management to energy, including proposals for implementation of new ordinances next year.

"The government's commitment to this ecosystem is very strong. We will continue to create the policy environment, regulatory clarity and institutional support that businesses need to operate and invest here with confidence", he said.

According to him, the development of waste-to-energy has the potential to be part of Sarawak's efforts to strengthen energy security and promote more sustainable use of resources.

"The implementation of this initiative should be seen as part of a larger shift in the state's waste management and energy systems", he said.