Sarawak’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Datuk Dr. Hazland Hipni, has addressed global concerns about the potential impact of the state’s biofuel development program on food security.
Speaking to international industry leaders during a closed-door session at the Cambridge Energy Research Associates Week (CERAWeek) in Houston, Texas, Hazland emphasized the state’s efforts to diversify biofuel sources beyond a single crop.
He highlighted the focus on biofuel production from various commodities like oil palm, corn, sugarcane, and soy. This was a crucial agenda at the forum, discussing the future of the biofuel sector, covering food, fuel, and carbon credits, as well as policy drivers for low-carbon fuels, feedstocks, and integrating agriculture with the energy sector.
Hazland also underscored Sarawak’s potential in developing three distinct biofuels: bioenergy from palm oil wastes, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from microalgae, and wood pellets sourced from sustainable forests for bioenergy generation. The forum, attended by 25 representatives from North and South America, the European Union, and Asia, included key industrial figures from companies such as BASF Corp, Eni, Reliance Industries Ltd., Marquis, Lanzajet, Shell, Petamina, and Petronas. CERAWeek, an annual event organized by S&P Global, serves as the premier platform for global energy industry leaders to convene and shape the future of energy.
