IT was a day of visiting some of Sarawak’s industry-driven facilities in Kuching for Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow during his four-day trip here.
Chow and his delegation are here in Kuching to attend the 27th World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT) and the 6th International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS), known as WCIT|IDECS 2023, which was officiated on Tuesday (Oct 3) at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
Earlier in the day, Chow’s itinerary included visits to the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), Sarawak Energy Hydrogen Refueling Station, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) building and the state’s first industrial microalgae production facility.
It is learnt that SMA’s primary objective is to spearhead, oversee and facilitate the development and implementation of the communication, multimedia and the state’s digital economy initiatives.
There, Chow and the team received a comprehensive briefing on the agency’s functions and objectives from its general manager, Datuk Dr Anderson Tiong Ing Heng.
After SMA, Chow headed to the Sarawak Energy Hydrogen Refueling Station, which is dubbed Southeast Asia’s first integrated hydrogen production plant and refuelling station.
In line with the vision of Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, the Sarawak government entrusted Sarawak Energy Berhad to spearhead energy-related research starting with a feasibility study on hydrogen and fuel cell applications in Sarawak.
2019 marked the launch of Sarawak’s first hydrogen-powered bus trial in Kuching city.
Chow and team were taken on a tour on the bus earlier, giving everyone a new and exciting experience of boarding a hydrogen-powered bus.
The bus headed towards the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) building, where the delegates then got into the Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) for a tour in the Jalan Bako vicinity.
The hydrogen-powered transportation, which is currently undergoing an engineering run, will commence in stages from Quarter Four in 2025, starting with the Blue Line that runs from Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in the Kuching city centre.
Chow’s final stop was at Sarawak’s first industrial microalgae production facility at Jalan Chawan, where he was briefed about the operations of the production of microalgae, and also about the promising future this sector holds.
Microalgae has recently attracted considerable interest worldwide for its potential as a renewable, sustainable, and economical source of biofuels, bioactive medicinal products, and food ingredients.
Story and pix by Kevin Vimal