KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Energy Council (MTS) has granted approval to three local companies to conduct a feasibility study aimed at involving local industry players in the development of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technology in Sabah. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor announced that these companies have been given a year to complete their studies, with their findings to be considered for approval by the Sabah government.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, following MTS’s approval, the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) will issue conditional letters of award to these companies for sustainable energy development. ECoS has also received expressions of interest from companies in Australia and the United Kingdom for OTEC development in Sabah, with proposals currently under review. This information was shared by Hajiji during a session at the Sabah state legislative assembly, in response to an inquiry from assemblyman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee regarding the progress of OTEC development since the enac
tment of the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Enactment 2024.
Hajiji further elaborated that a preliminary feasibility study is being conducted by the UTM Ocean Thermal Energy Centre (UTM-OTEC), a collaboration between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), to assess the potential for an OTEC plant in Sabah. This study, funded by Shell’s Marine Renewable Programme, is anticipated to be completed by the end of the year.
OTEC technology harnesses the thermal gradient between deep and surface seawater to generate electricity. Research suggests that Sabah has the potential to generate up to 20,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, with 15,000 MW possible on the west coast and 5,000 MW on the east coast.
The recent Sabah International Blue Economy Conference 2024, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on October 19, served as a critical platform for introducing and promoting OTEC to both local and international industry players. The Chief Minister also highlighted tha
t the Sabah Maju Jaya secretariat has delineated four key components in the exploration of the blue economy: harvesting living marine resources, extracting non-living resources, generating new resources, and trade and business activities related to the ocean.
From these components, there are at least 14 potential industries identified for development and exploration in Sabah. Hajiji expressed confidence that the advancement of the blue economy could transform Sabah into a leading figure in Malaysia’s sea and river-based blue economy initiatives.