PUTRAJAYA, Dec 7 — Malaysia is expected to save up to RM7 billion by 2030 by using biomass pellets as a national energy source, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Speaking to the press after officiating the National Biomass Conference 2023 today, Fadillah, who is also the Plantation and Commodities Minister, said this is because using biomass pellets produced from recycled organic waste can reduce dependence on imported coal.
“That is an option; we can produce pellets abundantly and use them as green energy and no longer rely on coal,” he said, adding this will also strengthen the country's biomass industry.
However, the matter being emphasised right now is whether or not Malaysia has sufficient resources to meet the demand for organic waste material to generate energy.
“So, what our ministry is doing now is forest farming; we plant trees that can grow in five years, and then we harvest, including bamboo, which is effective for making charcoal,” Fadillah said.
At the event, he also launched the National Biomass Action Plan 2023-2030 (NBAP2030), witnessed by players in the biomass industry from five sectors: plantation, agriculture, livestock, forestry, and fisheries.
The NBAP2030 is expected to increase investments in the biomass industry to RM3 billion by 2030, creating over 3,000 job opportunities.
Fadillah said the action plan was developed based on the National Agrocommodity Policy (NAP) 2021-2030 document, together with relevant ministry and agency policies, and aims to boost the biomass industry, which is expected to contribute around RM17 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
In line with the National Energy Transition Roadmap, the NBAP2030 also targets co-firing projects in electricity generation stations involving the combustion of a mixed fuel of coal and biomass pellets.
The action plan also aims to establish biomass hubs to carry out the centralised and systematic collection of biomass raw materials to drive the national biomass supply chain systematically and efficiently.
The hub is planned to be built in 20 locations, including Kuantan, Pahang, and Gua Musang, Kelantan, he said, adding the biomass sector will be a catalyst for the country's economy, opening up more job opportunities and contributing to increased household income, especially for small-scale agro-commodity farmers.
— Bernama
