KUCHING, Aug 23 — The Sarawak state government is set to establish a strategic partnership with the Swedish government in managing waste-to-energy (WtE) system in the state.

WtE is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said Sarawak is keen on emulating Sweden’s WtE system which has been proven to be more successful compared to those of other European countries

"I am very interested in Sweden’s capability in the WtE industry, and since Sarawak has almost similar resources, we can emulate its solid waste management method,” he said in a statement today.

In a speech during his visit to Sweden’s Energy Agency in Stockholm on Tuesday, Abang Johari said it was time for Sarawak to strengthen its solid management system through WtE to ensure the well-being of its people in the future.

Meanwhile, the Sarawak premier had also expressed his interest in Sweden’s cross-border power grid which allows the country to export electricity to neighbouring countries such as Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, Lithuania and Poland.

He said Sarawak could also export electricity to Kalimantan, Indonesia.

During his visit to Sweden, Abang Johari had also paid a courtesy call on Sweden’s Minister of Trade and Development, Johan Forssell, before continuing his visit to Norway today to inspect the operation of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen facilities in Bergen.

Accompanied by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, the Sarawak Premier is on a week-long working visit to several European countries, where he will also be meeting with Shell’s top management at the oil and gas giant’s headquarters in London. — Bernama