Malaysia biomass sector attracting big investment

The EU-Malaysia Biomass Sustainable Production Initiative (Biomass-SP) has claimed several parties are looking to invest up to RM3.5 billion (€878 million) in the country’s budding biomass sector.

Biomass-SP has said that those investing sought the help of itself and the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation to ensure sufficient amounts of feedstock for their operations were available, as well as to help present their presentations to the local authorities.

US-based sustainable chemicals company Genomatica is said to want to set up a $300 million (€231 million) plant and China’s green energy investment company Wuhad Kaidi is planning to build a 20 MW biomass power generation plant.

‘There are many issues to be addressed, such as the need to have 300,000 tonnes of dry feedstock to for a power plant annually,’ says Biomass-SP technical advisor Datuk Leong Kin Mun. ‘We’ve arranged for Wuhad Kaidi to meet the state authorities of Sabah, Terengganu and Perak regarding its particular project, but we must ensure that there is sufficient supply for each company before helping them turn their plans into reality.’