Malaysian to become biggest biogas exporter

Malaysia is expected to be Asia’s biggest biogas exporter by 2020 and Asia’s biggest biogas hub by 2030, said Science, Techonology and Innovation Minister, Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin.

He was quoted by Malaysian News Agency (Bernama) as saying Malaysia had the potential to utilise biogas resources to be at the epicentre of global bioindustrial ecosystem.

"Currently, we have about five million hectares of land under oil palm, so by 2020, we will be able to increase revenue to about RM20 billion.

"The aim is to show the viability in upgrading biogas from palm oil mill effluent (POME) to bio-methane, which can be used to fuel cars or other industrial applications," he said at the fourth Biogas Asia Pacific Forum 2015 here today.

With the adoption of biotechnology in the biogas industry, production would significantly increase and the industry was expected to grow to RM8.3 billion by 2022 from RM1.46 billion in 2015, he added.

Meanwhile, Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohd Nazlee Kamal said as the leading development agency in biotech industry, the company had stepped forward to spearhead the development of biogas.

"Under the Bioeconomy Transformation Programme, with projects to convert wastes in the form of POME into high value-added green energy, we are enhancing renewable energy resources to contribute towards the national electricity supply." The three-day forum witnessed the exchange of documents between Gas Malaysia Bhd, Sime Darby Offshore Engineering Sdn Bhd, Megagreen Energy Sdn Bhd, Technology Nasional Bhd, Felcra Bhd, Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd, and Green and Smart Sdn Bhd.

The 51:49 Gas Malaysia-Sime Darby venture will undertake distribution business of biogas compressed natural gas extracted from the palm oil mill effluent.

Nazlee said BiotechCorp hoped to double revenue for its BioNexus Status companies this year from the 10% growth achieved last year.

In 2014, BioNexus companies saw a 10% increase in revenue to RM1.29 billion from RM1.17 billion in 2013.