Black & Veatch looking into hydrogen commercialization in Malaysia

Malaysian energy companies Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Petronas have appointed U.S. LNG infrastructure solutions company Black & Veatch to study green hydrogen commercialization pathways as part of efforts to realize Malaysia’s low-carbon energy ambitions.

According to Black & Veatch, the objectives of the study are to validate the findings of a joint feasibility study conducted by TNB and PETRONAS to develop hydrogen in Malaysia and provide strategic, technical and commercial insights on the generation, transportation, distribution and demand of green hydrogen.

Jerin Raj, Director, South & Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Black & Veatch, said: “Securing viable off-takers for green hydrogen is a key factor that affects the bankability of hydrogen developments. With Malaysia’s abundant renewable resources including solar and hydropower, this feasibility study has the potential to shape the development of a hydrogen economy in Malaysia over the next decade.”

To note, Malaysia has created the Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap (HETR) to guide the development of its hydrogen economy. The country targets to be a major hydrogen exporter in the Asia Pacific by 2050, with a projected revenue of more than RM400 billion ($85 billion).

As for Black & Veatch, the company pointed out that it has “engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) experience across the value chain of green hydrogen development, as well as technical knowledge, and business and regulatory experience across power, transport and bunkering value chain elements.” Raj mentioned that Black & Veatch has been working with hydrogen and ammonia production for over 80 years.

At the beginning of 2024, Narsingh Chaudhary, President of Black & Veatch’s Asia Pacific and India region shared his views about the hydrogen-ready LNG infrastructure and Malaysia’s journey to a carbon-free world:

“Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap is achievable with collaboration across multiple fronts. Diversifying the energy mix, prioritizing renewable energy adoption, enhancing energy efficiency, and deploying advanced technologies like carbon capture, utilization and storage to mitigate emissions from existing fossil fuel assets are some steps Malaysia can take to accelerate its journey to a low-carbon world.”