Sarawak explores biomass producing grass next

BY NATASHA JEE & NURA VALENTIANA LORNA

KUCHING: The Sarawak government is expanding its renewable energy efforts by exploring the cultivation of grass species capable of producing biomass.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said a company in the state has achieved this, making Sarawak the first in the region to produce biomass from grass.

“I was with Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan in Bintulu on Monday (Sept 23). We had a very interesting activity there where we saw 800 acres of land, the company planted grass, and this is tropical hybrid grass.

“The grass can be harvested within three months and with certain processes, they produce biomass from the grass. This grass turns into biomass, which becomes a feedstock to produce power and this is renewable energy.

“Now if you know the quality of land and the soil, then you can decide whether to plant coconut or grass. Which one brings you more money? This will get people out of poverty by increasing their income,” he said when officiating at the GeoWeek 2024 Conference held here today (Sept 24).

Abang Johari also highlighted that planting grass is no longer limited to feeding buffalo or cattle but can now be used to produce electricity, replacing the use of coal with biomass.

“Sarawak is already producing this. You know, there is another form of energy, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) produced from algae.

“Therefore, the state now, maybe we can plant grass and cultivate more algae,” he said.

He also said the Sarawak government is placing strong emphasis on the use of technology in land administration.

“Land administration now goes beyond conventional management, as technology and data enable more informed decisions about the economic use of land,” he said.

On Monday (Sept 23), RAW Energy’s ground breaking pellet manufacturing company, RAW Solid Fuels, welcomed Abang Johari to its facility in Bintulu.

The Premier expressed his excitement and pride about Sarawak becoming the home to the world’s first large-scale grass biomass pellet manufacturer and exporter.

RAW Solid Fuels is revolutionising the biomass industry by setting a new benchmark in sustainable biomass with its innovative Hybrid Tropical Grass (HTG) pellets, a renewable and carbon-negative alternative to traditional coal and wood pellets for sustainable energy production.

The company in a statement said the HTG pellets offer the highest yielding and most efficient carbon cycle in biomass with over ten times the land-use efficiency of wood-based alternatives, making them a game-changer in the production of clean energy.

With a carbon cycle measured in days rather than decades, along with 15 per cent more energy content, RAW Energy’s HTG biomass pellets represent the future of sustainable green energy.

The advanced farming and production methodologies employed by RAW Energy ensure that these HTG biomass pellets can be directly utilised as a feedstock for power stations to generate clean green energy.

This innovation will assist countries around the world to decarbonise and achieve their net zero targets.