The Sarawak authorities could also be main the cost with regards to hydrogen energy, Peninsular Malaysia isn’t too far behind. The ministry of science, know-how and innovation (MOSTI) will 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 keeping with The Star.
Minister Chang Lin Kang mentioned the pilot, which will even contain cell hydrogen fuelling stations, is a part of Malaysia’s aim to have equal gross sales of hydrogen, petrol and electrical automobiles by 2050. “This initiative is a step in the direction of establishing Malaysia as a frontrunner in clear vitality within the area.
“The imaginative and prescient for a hydrogen financial system positions hydrogen as a clear, low-carbon vitality supply that’s able to changing conventional fossil fuels and changing into a key element of a clear vitality portfolio. As a carbon-neutral vitality supply, hydrogen affords inclusivity and advantages for trade stakeholders,” he advised the publication.
Chang added that his ministry will retain using one of many Mirais to advertise using hydrogen. “We’ll carry within the Mirai and conduct promotional actions. This may function an illustration 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 vehicles along with EVs, on condition that the previous solely emits water.
The three vehicles might be fuelled by the aforementioned cell hydrogen stations arrange in both Putrajaya or Cyberjaya. “The entire funds for the Cell Hydrogen Refuelling Station (MHRS) cyber venture is round RM12 million, with larger preliminary price because it’s the primary within the peninsula,” Chang mentioned.
The transfer to trial hydrogen-powered automobiles is consistent with Chang’s feedback in October 2023, throughout which he mentioned MOSTI was creating a Hydrogen Financial 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 financial system is seen as a viable resolution to Malaysia’s financial challenges, which embody 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 might solely final one other 15 years, in keeping with the reserves life index. However Chang nonetheless doesn’t anticipate hydrogen vehicles to be fashionable for an additional decade, because the nation has but to provide its personal and even on the worldwide scale, solely the Mirai and the soon-to-be-replaced Hyundai Nexo are presently provided on the market.
“There’s, nevertheless, fast improvement in freight transportation with gas cell know-how, with corporations like Hyzon, Hyundai and Nikola making vital progress,” he mentioned, including that Malaysia’s hydrogen financial system targets prolong past mobility, encompassing all the hydrogen worth chain together with manufacturing, transportation, storage and end-use in industries, energy technology and transportation.
The opposite downside dissuading wider adoption is hydrogen gas prices, particularly for eco-friendly inexperienced hydrogen. Manufacturing of the gas presently prices round US$6 (RM28.15) per kilogram, which means {that a} full tank of 5.65 kg for the Mirai would price round US$33.90 (RM159) for a variety of 800km.
Nonetheless, the swap to focused subsidies will steadily slender the fee hole between petrol/diesel and new vitality sources. This might be helped by the import, excise and street tax exemptions for hydrogen automobiles, just like EVs, as a part of HETR. Subsidies will even be provided, akin to these China presently offers for EVs.
Malaysia can also be working to part out gray hydrogen, produced utilizing fossil fuels similar to pure fuel and coal, in favour of blue hydrogen that provides carbon seize and storage know-how to scale back emissions. The last word aim is the transition to inexperienced hydrogen that’s made utilizing renewable vitality, decreasing dependency on fossil fuels and mitigating local weather change by carbon impartial initiatives.
GALLERY: 2024 Toyota Mirai and cell hydrogen station in Malaysia
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