KUCHING:Sarawak's Deputy Energy and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Dr Hazland Hipni has allayed global fears that the state's biofuel development programme could cause a potential risk to the state's and world's food security.
Hazland told international industry leaders in a closed-door session at the Cambridge Energy Research Associates Week (CERAWeek) in Houston, Texas that the state is diversifying its biofuel sources beyond a single crop.
He said major attention was given to biofuel production sourced from commodities such as oil palm, corn, sugarcane and soy.
It was one off our critical agendas participants in the forum were addressing as that which could shape the future of the biofuel sector, including food, fuel, and carbon credits; policy drivers for low-carbon fuels; feedstocks; and the integration of agriculture with the energy sector.
Hazland said he emphasised Sarawak's potential to lead in the development of three distinct biofuels -bioenergy from palm oil wastes, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from microalgae, and wood pellets – which he said were sourced from sustainable forests for bioenergy generation.
The forum attracted 25 representatives from North and South America, the European Union, and Asia, including key industrial figures from BASF Corp, Eni, Reliance Industries Ltd., Marquis, Lanzajet, Shell, Petamina, and Petronas.
CERAWeek, an annual gathering organised by S&P Global, serves as the premier platform for global energy industry leaders to convene and shape the future of energy.