SWG Green Complex, Decarbon Hub could spearhead low-carbon industry beyond Bintulu, says Premier

Abang Johari (seated centre) in a group photo with distinguished guests during the launch of the SWG Green Industrial Complex and Decarbon Hub at Demak Laut Industrial Park on June 15, 2026. Photo credit: Sarawak Information Department (Japen)

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, June 15: The newly launched SWG Green Industrial Complex and Decarbon Hub at Demak Laut Industrial Park here could become a catalyst for expanding Sarawak’s low-carbon industrial ecosystem beyond Bintulu.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak has already laid the groundwork for low-carbon industrial growth through investments in renewable energy, low-carbon gas and supporting infrastructure, creating opportunities for companies to align themselves with the State’s green development agenda.

“I congratulate the SWG Energy Group for having a clear direction in their effort to move forward in their engineering skills, while at the same time aligning with Sarawak’s development policy, particularly in terms of our green movement,” he said during the complex’s launching ceremony today.

Abang Johari, who is also the Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, further highlighted Bintulu’s growing international profile as a low-carbon industrial centre, noting that it has been recognised by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as one of 30 emerging low-carbon industrial clusters globally and the first of its kind in Malaysia.

He added that the achievement positions Sarawak at the forefront of the WEF’s Transitioning Industrial Clusters (TIC) initiative in the region.

“I congratulate SWG Green Complex, and I hope it will help transform industrial development in Sarawak. Not only in TIC Bintulu, we may extend it to Kuching as well.

“Kuching must also be a green industry location, and we have to move forward within the context of our regional development,” he said.

The SWG Green Complex and Decarbon Hub is an integrated industrial and innovation platform supporting steel structures integration, hydrogen-related applications and practical decarbonisation initiatives.

It is designed to function as both an industrial facility and an applied innovation centre, focusing on low-carbon technologies, engineering solutions and industry collaboration in Sarawak.

The complex has also received Green Building Index (GBI) approval, including certification for industrial new construction, reflecting its alignment with sustainable building and operational standards.

It houses the SWG Steel Structures Integration & Engineering Centre, which centralises engineering, technical coordination, quality assurance and project execution for steel infrastructure such as transmission towers and related systems.

It also includes SWG H2 Life facilities, which explore hydrogen applications including hydrogen-enriched water and broader wellness and applied research initiatives as part of its wider decarbonisation ecosystem.

At the event, Abang Johari witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between SWG Energy Group and i-CATS University College to develop a future-ready workforce for Sarawak’s industrial and energy ecosystem, as well as to strengthen petrochemical and process engineering expertise.

SWG Energy Group was represented by its chairman Datuk Seri Abang Abdul Karim Tun Abang Openg and deputy chairman Alex Pang, while i-CATS University College was represented by director of Engagement and Endowment Associate Professor Jong Tien Kiong and director of the Institute of Sustainable Green Energy and Technology Professor Ts. Dr. Jagadeesh Pasupuleti.

SWG Energy Group had also signed a tripartite MoU with Tianjin University and Guangdong Gulf Power Resources Co Ltd to develop a reference model for green industrial and energy transition through advanced internal combustion and alternative-fuel solutions.

The collaboration aims to support technology upgrading and industrial growth in Malaysia by improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions intensity, developing local specialist talent and enhancing higher-value upstream and downstream activities.

Tianjin University was represented by Dr Yao An Ren and Professor Li Yun Qiang, director and deputy director of the National Advanced Internal Combustion Research Centre, while Guangdong Gulf Power Resources Co Ltd was represented by director Xiong Yan.

Also present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian; Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability as well as Demak Laut assemblyman Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni; and Deputy Minister for Utility (Sarawak Energy and PETROS) Datuk Ibrahim Baki. — DayakDaily