BATU PAHAT: Johor is ready to lead the production of biodiesel as an alternative source of fuel energy and become a major global energy generator in the future.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the objective would hopefully, be achieved through the RM13 million oil and gas processing plant which had been completed and designed to process raw palm oil into biodiesel as fuel.
“The setting up of the plant by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) will hopefully, reveal biodiesel’s potential from local sources. The plant itself, is a significant laboratory as it is a place to research alternative energy using biodiesel.
“We know Johor is one of the largest states in the country, exporting raw palm oil, so of course there will be oil palm wastes which can be used as alternative energy at the plant,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after launching the plant and witnessing the signing ceremony of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) between UTHM and Johor Petroleum Development Corporation Berhad (JPDC), at the UTHM campus in Parit Raja here today.
UTHM was represented by its vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin while JPDC was represented by its chief executive Mohd Yazid Ja'afar. The construction of the 1,000 sq metre processing plant began in 2010 before its completion in 2012.
On the MoA, Mohamed Khaled said it would encourage development in the field of engineering technology based on oil and gas, as well as being in line with the vision to transform Johor as an international hub of the oil and gas industry.
He said through the MoA, UTHM and JPDC could empower the development of human resource via training programmes related to the flow of oil and gas which would be offered at UTHM, to create skilled graduates.