VOInews, Kuching: There are many opportunities for cooperation in the development of renewable energy in Borneo. Considering that Borneo - consisting of the territory of Indonesia (Kalimantan), Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei - is one of the largest regions having biodiversity / biodiversity both flora and fauna - has millions of hectares of mangrove and peat forests and many rivers with swift currents, all of which can be diverted into environmentally friendly energy (green energy).

This was conveyed by the Prime Minister (Premier) of the Malaysian State of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg Abang Joe, when receiving an Indonesian delegation led by the Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, accompanied by the Indonesian Consul General Kuching, Fairatmos manager, Korfung Ekonomi KJRI Kuching, Korfung Ekonomi KBRI Kuala Lumpur, and Sarawak businessmen related to renewable energy development at the Sarawak parliament building, Wednesday (24/05/2023).

Quoting a press statement from the Indonesian Consulate General in Kuching received by Voice of Indonesia, Thursday (25/05/2023), during the meeting with the Indonesian Ambassador's entourage, the Sarawak Premier also explained various Sarawak government policies to encourage the development of green energy industry and technology.

"For example, the inauguration of the advanced stage of construction of the world's largest algae / moss factory, Chitose Carbon Capture Central Sarawak in Kuching on May 10, 2023," he explained.

The Premier also demonstrated Sarawak's readiness in algae technology by taking an algae-fueled flight from Kuching to Langkawi on May 22, 2023. It also illustrated Sarawak's readiness for the use of hydrogen technology.

"In the field of hydropower, Sarawak's state energy company, Sarawak Energy Berhad, is participating in the construction of the Mentarang Induk hydropower plant in North Kalimantan with a capacity of 1,375 MW whose ground breaking was jointly carried out between President Joko Widodo and the Premier of Sarawak on March 1, 2023. Sarawak is also ready to export electricity to Singapore through a pipeline buried in the sea," he added.

Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg Abang Joe paid positive attention to the offer of Fairatmos - a platform-based company that connects and verifies stakeholders related to carbon trading - to cooperate with relevant parties in Sarawak in the development of the green energy sector with financial support / incentives from carbon trading.

According to the Premier of Sarawak, various criticisms from the United States and the European Union regarding development in developing countries that do not pay attention to the environment need to be answered with concrete evidence in the form of the use of technology, improving the quality of human resources and serious and consistent policies in the development of green energy.

Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono hopes that Premier's visionary strategies and policies in the development of green energy can be synergized with the same policies from Indonesia. According to him, the relocation of the archipelago's capital in Kalimantan will have a strong impact on accelerating the potential for cooperation between Indonesia and Sarawak for an environmentally friendly Borneo.

"We also plan to be able to review the impact of green energy for the community in the village (in Mukah) where about 200 families use electricity from oil palm pulp," Hermono said. (VOI/Agus)