Malaysia’s hydrogen economy: A grand vision, a harder truth — Ahmad Ibrahim

Malaysia's hydrogen economy holds promise, but significant challenges must be overcome to achieve the ambitious targets outlined in the NETR and Hydrogen Roadmap. The country's solar resource potential and hydropower in Sarawak present opportunities for low-carbon hydrogen production, while initiatives like the Malaysia Clean Hydrogen Project demonstrate international interest.

However, Malaysia currently relies on "grey" hydrogen production, which is not aligned with the roadmap's goals. The high cost of electricity and lack of renewable capacity in Peninsular Malaysia present significant barriers to scaling up electrolysis, and without policy support, achieving commercial viability remains uncertain.

While Sarawak has made progress with its hydropower advantage, it remains an exception and cannot be replicated across the peninsula. The literature suggests two domestic pathways for advancing Malaysia's hydrogen sector: utilizing oil palm biomass waste through gasification or supercritical processes.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.