26/07/2011 (Borneo Post) -  Plantations in the state have been called to look into the possibility of developing the Biogas Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project to generate energy from waste.

Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui assured that CDM would be able to generate good economic returns to the industry by helping save energy.

“When compared to Peninsula and Sabah, we in Sarawak are still far behind in this aspect. I hope more plantations in Sarawak especially in Miri will begin to develop more biogas clean development mechanism projects,” he said.

“The carbon credits and other income generated from biogas utilisation from the project will encourage similar projects in other palm oil mills, leading to the development of regional economies, thus improving their socio-economic condition,” he said at the business collaboration agreement signing ceremony between Alambumi Palm Oil Mill Sdn Bhd and Konzen Clean Energy Sdn Bhd at Eastwood Valley Gold & Country Club here late yesterday.

Chin said the project activity would reduce uncontrollable emissions of methane from open lagoons, thus reducing the emission of green house gases to the atmosphere and its impact on climate change.

Signing for Alam Bumi Palm Oil Mill Sdn Bhd was its managing director Tan Sri Datuk Lau Hieng Wui while chief executive officer Mike Teo Su Kim represented Konzen Clean Energy Sdn Bhd.

Under the agreement, Alambumi will partner Konzen to develop a CDM project at Alambumi
Palm Oil Mill Sdn Bhd in Miri.

Divided into two phases, the first phase would involved building up a closed anaerobic tank digester to capture methane gas costing around RM7.5 million and while the second phase would be biogas utilisation costing around RM7 million.

This will be Konzen’s second biogas CDM project from palm oil mill effluent in Sarawak after Rinwood Pelita Palm Oil Mill in Mukah.

Also present were Alambumi Palm Oil Mill Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Hasan Sui and Chin’s political secretary Datuk Sebastian Ting.