SABAH passed the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Bill 2024 to tap into thermal potentials to generate electricity and amended the Energy Commission of Sabah Enactment to empower the state energy commission to regulate its activities.
The law is part of the state’s renewable energy efforts and the Blue Economy concept, said Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor at the Sabah Legislative Assembly today.
“The law will allow Sabah through the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) to regulate activities related to exploration, construction, and operation of OTEC facilities.
“The OTEC technology aims to harness the temperature difference between warm surface waters and cold ocean depths to generate electricity in an environmentally friendly manner,” he said.
Hajiji noted that Sabah has the potential for up to 200,000MW of electricity from the production of green hydrogen from Sabah waters, a highly sought energy source crucial to attain net zero carbon emissions goals.
Several state assemblymen had expressed their views during the debates, with some urging the state not to rush into OTEC.
Sabah obtained regulatory authority over electricity from the Federal Government, which came into effect from January 3 this year.
However, nominated assemblyman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee believes the implementation of the OTEC enactment can be the catalyst to assert control over Sabah's territorial waters as far as the Continental Shelf.
He said no confusion should arise any further, as the clause in the OTEC enactment which includes the phrase “Sabah waters” points to Sabah’s rights over its own waters.
“There's a possibility the authorities across the South China Sea will challenge this law, demanding Sabah to adhere to the Territorial Sea Act 2012, whereby Putrajaya thinks Sabah waters are only limited to three nautical miles.
“Sabah’s OTEC potentials lie up to 15 kilometres into the sea and Sabah has the Continental Shelf which includes the sea and its subsoil.
“No government in the world challenged the North Borneo Alteration of Boundaries Order In Council 1954 which defined Sabah territorial waters up to the Continental Shelf,” he said.
Yong stated the force of the law continues to apply even when Sabah, along with partners Singapore, Sarawak, and Malaya, decided to merge to form Malaysia in 1963. – The Vibes, April 25, 2024.
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