The Sarawak authorities could also be main the cost in the case of hydrogen energy, Peninsular Malaysia isn’t too far behind. The ministry of science, expertise and innovation (MOSTI) may even be bringing in three items of the Toyota Mirai to be trialled on the western facet of the nation within the first quarter of 2025, in response to The Star.
Minister Chang Lin Kang mentioned the pilot, which may even contain cell hydrogen fuelling stations, is a part of Malaysia’s purpose to have equal gross sales of hydrogen, petrol and electrical autos by 2050. “This initiative is a step in direction of establishing Malaysia as a frontrunner in clear vitality within the area.
“The imaginative and prescient for a hydrogen economic system positions hydrogen as a clear, low-carbon vitality supply that’s able to changing conventional fossil fuels and turning into a key element of a clear vitality portfolio. As a carbon-neutral vitality supply, hydrogen provides inclusivity and advantages for trade stakeholders,” he instructed the publication.
Chang added that his ministry will retain using one of many Mirais to advertise using hydrogen. “We are going to deliver within the Mirai and conduct promotional actions. This can function an indication of {our capability}, proving that it’s road-ready and can be utilized successfully,” he mentioned, including that it’s important for the federal government to advertise hydrogen automobiles along with EVs, on condition that the previous solely emits water.
The three automobiles will likely be fuelled by the aforementioned cell hydrogen stations arrange in both Putrajaya or Cyberjaya. “The entire price range for the Cell Hydrogen Refuelling Station (MHRS) cyber venture is round RM12 million, with larger preliminary value because it’s the primary within the peninsula,” Chang mentioned.
The transfer to trial hydrogen-powered autos is consistent with Chang’s feedback in October 2023, throughout which he mentioned MOSTI was growing a Hydrogen Economic system and Expertise Roadmap (HETR) to place the nation inside the profitable world hydrogen ecosystem, projected to be price US$189.19bil (RM834.33bil) by 2050. “The hydrogen economic system is seen as a viable answer to Malaysia’s financial challenges, which embrace plans to part out petrol subsidies,” he mentioned.
The necessity to shift away from petrol energy is urgently wanted because it’s been reported that Malaysia’s oil and fuel reserves could solely final one other 15 years, in response to the reserves life index. However Chang nonetheless doesn’t count on hydrogen automobiles to be standard for one more decade, because the nation has but to supply its personal and even on the worldwide scale, solely the Mirai and the soon-to-be-replaced Hyundai Nexo are at the moment provided on the market.
“There’s, nevertheless, speedy growth in freight transportation with gasoline cell expertise, with corporations like Hyzon, Hyundai and Nikola making important progress,” he mentioned, including that Malaysia’s hydrogen economic system targets prolong past mobility, encompassing the complete hydrogen worth chain together with manufacturing, transportation, storage and end-use in industries, energy era and transportation.
The opposite drawback dissuading wider adoption is hydrogen gasoline prices, particularly for eco-friendly inexperienced hydrogen. Manufacturing of the gasoline at the moment prices round US$6 (RM28.15) per kilogram, which means {that a} full tank of 5.65 kg for the Mirai would value round US$33.90 (RM159) for a spread of 800km.
Nonetheless, the swap to focused subsidies will progressively slim the fee hole between petrol/diesel and new vitality sources. This will likely be helped by the import, excise and street tax exemptions for hydrogen autos, much like EVs, as a part of HETR. Subsidies may even be provided, akin to these China at the moment supplies for EVs.
Malaysia can also be working to part out gray hydrogen, produced utilizing fossil fuels comparable to pure fuel and coal, in favour of blue hydrogen that provides carbon seize and storage expertise to scale back emissions. The last word purpose is the transition to inexperienced hydrogen that’s made utilizing renewable vitality, decreasing dependency on fossil fuels and mitigating local weather change via carbon impartial initiatives.
GALLERY: 2024 Toyota Mirai and cell hydrogen station in Malaysia
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