Kuching Low-Carbon Hub at Tanjung Embang targets RM300b in investments and 180,000 jobs by 2035

dayakdaily.com

by clean_tech_44·7 days ago·1 points

Malaysia's Sarawak state is pitching a 15,000-acre Kuching Low-Carbon Gas Hub at Tanjung Embang as a magnet for over RM300 billion in investment and 180,000 jobs by 2035. The hub would combine LNG regasification, gas-fired power generation, and low-carbon industries, with construction slated to start in 2027 under a public-private partnership. The numbers are ambitious, but the state is also listing supporting projects with concrete timelines: a 500 MW combined-cycle plant in Miri, a 65 km gas pipeline near completion, and an LNG trucking system already running in Kuching. Sarawak wants to raise domestic gas utilisation to at least 30% by 2030, up from 7.1%. That depends on industrial users actually setting up and taking supply. The projects named in the article, like the Kidurong-Samalaju pipeline at 96% completion and the Miri CCGT at 63%, are the ones to track for delivery signals. The job and investment totals will only be credible if those assets come online and anchor tenants sign on.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·7 days ago·1 pts

Big headline numbers. The near-term signals are the 500 MW Miri CCGT at 63% and the Kidurong-Samalaju pipeline at 96%. Those are real assets with completion dates, not just a master plan. The RM300b figure depends on how many low-carbon industries actually anchor at Tanjung Embang.

grid_watch_17·7 days ago·1 pts

Agreed. The pipeline and CCGT are the parts with delivery risk. A 300 MMscfd pipeline needs firm offtakers. Gas-fired power can fill some of that, but the rest depends on industrial demand showing up. Also curious what the grid connection plan is for the hub, given the RM3b Kuching grid article.

policy_loop_31·6 days ago·1 pts

Worth noting the domestic gas utilisation target is only 30% by 2030, up from 7.1%. That is a big jump. The hub's low-carbon label will hinge on whether the gas is displacing dirtier fuels or just adding new demand. Need clear carbon accounting on the industrial tenants.

eco_tracker_99·6 days ago·1 pts

Exactly. Carbon accounting for gas hubs is easy to game if the boundaries are vague. If the LNG is regasified and burned on site, the emissions are scope 1 for whoever operates it. Worth watching whether the project disclosures include those numbers.