THE Sarawak government has confirmed the purchase of 38 units of hydrogen-powered trams from China though China had halted the use of such trams, said Sarawak Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil today.
He confirmed this in the State Assembly sitting today after Bawang Assan state assemblyman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh raised a query.
Wong had asked if it was true that China had stopped using hydrogen-powered trams and whether Sarawak would continue importing these vehicles from China.
Dr Jerip replied that though China had stopped using these hydrogen-fuelled trams, Sarawak would go ahead with its use.
"Our ART project (autonomous rapid transport) in Kuching will proceed as planned and we have confirmed the purchase of 38 hydrogen-powered trams from China.
"They will arrive in batches in Sarawak.
"China stopped using such trams due to low demand and competition from other forms of public transport in China," he said.
When Wong asked how much Sarawak would have to spend on these China-made hydrogen-powered trams, Dr Jerip said the costs would depend on the situation at the time of import.
"Costs may increase due to hike in material costs," he said.
The two Sarawak DAP elected representatives in this state have over the past week taken the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government to task for continuing to spend billions on hydrogen-related projects in Sarawak.
Violet Yong (Pending) and Chong Chien Jen (Padungan) wanted the GPS to give exact details on how many of the state's population will benefit from these hydrogen-related projects.
Out of the RM 10.9 billion State Budget 2025, RM 1.42 billion will be used for the hydrogen trams in Kuching city alone.
Overall, the state is expected to spend at least RM 6 billion for the hydrogen trams.
The first tram that arrived is being subjected to test-runs in Kuching city.
The project is the first such public transport project in Sarawak where hydrogen is used to power the vehicle, instead of fossil fuel. - November 15, 2024
