OTEC technology can boost renewable energy initiatives

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 23): Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology has the potential to significantly boost renewable energy initiatives in the state, said Invest Sabah Bhd CEO Dr Firdausi Suffian.

He pointed out that while OTEC is a relatively new technology, many sectors can be explored and enhanced through its implementation.

The OTEC technology, he pointed out, not only generates energy from the ocean but also includes downstream sectors related to water and hydrogen which has a vast market, especially in countries like Korea and Japan, with Japan in particular seeing strong demand.

“Thus, with OTEC, we can export energy to Japan and simultaneously increase our trade value. This is evident as, over the past two years, our trade volume has grown, with 2022 marking the most significant record in Sabah’s history, reaching a trade volume of RM118 billion,” he said when speaking to the media during the OTEC Forum organized by Invest Sabah Bhd here on Wednesday.

Commenting on the forum, Dr Firdausi explained that it was organized to maintain momentum after the success of the recent Sabah International Blue Economy Conference (SIBEC) 2024, aimed at creating more opportunities within the Blue Economy.

According to him, OTEC also has the potential to be a ‘game changer,’ particularly following the passing of the OTEC Bill 2024 by the Sabah State Legislative Assembly on April 25.

“The move was made to ensure that every OTEC-related project is fully governed by the state government.

And of course, we are grateful to the Sabah Energy Commission (ECoS), the main player in evaluating whether these companies are capable of carrying out the project.

“Thus, this forum is essentially aimed at raising awareness of the importance of OTEC and the surrounding technology in Sabah, through the involvement of all participating companies,” he added.