KUCHING: Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg will give a keynote address at the World Hydrogen Summit in Holland next week before going to Norway on a sovereign wealth fund fact-finding mission.

       Abang Johari will highlight Sarawak's "hydrogen-ready" position in an address themed "Accelerating the Global Hydrogen Economy: The Sarawak Way" at the start of the three-day summit in Rotterdam on May 9, the Sarawak Premier's Office said in a statement on Friday (May 6).

       Sarawak is a pioneer in exploring the hydrogen economy, having set up its first hydrogen production facility here in 2019 and conducting trial runs of hydrogen-powered buses in the state capital.

       The state is currently negotiating with Korean and Japanese companies keen to invest in setting up production facilities for green hydrogen in Bintulu with buy-back prospects by the respective countries.

       In addition, Abang Johari has indicated that Kuching's autonomous rapid transit, scheduled for completion in 2025, will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells as part of Sarawak's plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the protocols of the 2021 United Nations Glasgow Climate Change Summit.

       Abang Johari, who will depart for Rotterdam on Saturday (May 7) with a delegation of state ministers and senior government officers, is scheduled to visit Shell's office in The Hague later on May 9, where he will be briefed on the future of Shell in Sarawak.

       On May 10, the Premier and his delegation are scheduled to meet the Port of Rotterdam's chief executive, followed by a tour of Shell's technology centre in Amsterdam.

       The delegation will fly to Oslo on May 11 to gain insights into Norway's sovereign wealth fund.

       Abang Johari has previously said that Norway's fund would be a model for a similar fund that the Sarawak government plans to set up.

       Members of his delegation include Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, Deputy Energy and Environmental Sustainability Minister Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, state secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion, state financial secretary Datuk Seri Wan Lizozman Wan Omar, state Economic Planning Unit director Datuk Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Hussain, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) chairman Datuk Amar Hamed Sepawi and SEB chief executive Datuk Sharbini Suhaili.