Malaysia takes next step on CCS

The end of January saw the completion of a scoping study on CCS in Malaysia, which was officially handed to the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology & Water Malaysia (KETTHA) in Kuala Lumpur.

The study was undertaken over a period of six months under a partnership between KETTHA, the Global CCS Institute and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) as well as other relevant Malaysian government and industry stakeholders.

Peter Grubnic, General Manager – Projects, Financial and Commercial of the Global CCS Institute, Y.Bhg. Datuk Loo Took Gee, Secretary General, Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, and Dato' Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water.

At the handover ceremony, Minister Dato’ Sri Peter Chin thanked the Institute and CCI for their strong support and cooperation with Malaysia. Since joining the Institute as a Legal Member, Malaysia has benefited in a number of ways, including through support of this study and various capacity building initiatives, he said.

The Minister stated that the scoping study would help chart the future of CCS in Malaysia, noting that it is one of the key technologies which will help the country in achieving its commitment to cut carbon intensity by 40 per cent in 2020 based on 2005 levels.

KETTHA will now plan for CCS implementation in Malaysia, starting with the establishment of a multi-stakeholder steering committee to consider the recommendations of the study.

“We are pleased to have completed this important piece of work for the Malaysian Government, which has shown keen interest in exploring CCS as a climate mitigation tool,” said Peter Grubnic, the Institute’s General Manager – Projects, Financial and Commercial, who attended the handover ceremony.

“Taking this kind of work forward will ensure that the world can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. It also places Malaysia in a leadership position in terms of seeking sustainable and effective ways of achieving those targets domestically.”

The scoping study focused on the long-term role for CCS in Malaysia’s energy and industrial future, opportunities for near-term deployment, technical and financial feasibility, and next steps for further investigation. Key findings include:

• the opportunity to reduce significant volumes of carbon dioxide emitted by Malaysian point sources using CCS technologies; and
• that CCS can reduce emissions directly from the power, oil and gas, and industrial sectors in Malaysia.