NOVEMBER 2019
USD 5 Bil Oil Refinery In Lawas To Be Game Changer
KUCHING, Sat: The proposed USD 5 billion oil refinery in Lawas would be a game changer for development in the northern region of Sarawak and Sarawak economy as a whole when it would finally come into realisation by 2022, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg said yesterday in Hainan, China.
The refinery complex should be completed by 2022 if the current negotiation and preparation were proceeding as scheduled, he pointed out in his return address during a briefing at the Sinopec oil refinery complex in Hainan.
The Chief Minister was leading a delegation of state officials on a two-day fact-finding trip to the Sinopec oil refining facility located at the Yangpu Economic Development Zone in Northwestern Hainan Island.
Accompanying the Chief Minister was Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Ali Hassan who is the Second Minister for Urban Development and Resources and Minister for International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development.
An official of Sinopec Engineering Incorporated which signed the MOU as a technology provider with the developer, Beijing BECA Sci-Tech Co. Ltd in June last year, here said the feasibility study had now entered the phase of designing the processing unit of the facility sited on a 700-hectare in the Sare peninsular in Lawas.
Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Zohari said the Sarawak government was serious in trying to ensure that the project would materialise as scheduled and would give the necessary support to facilitate its planning and construction.
“Our visit here is a proof of our seriousness to ensure that the refinery will materialise as planned,” he pointed out.
Later, in a speech during a dinner in the capital city Haikou hosted by Sinopec Engineering, Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Zohari said only some slight adjustments were needed to the original planning to accommodate the approach to the runway of a new airport being planned as a supporting facility to the billion-dollar project.
He said the plant site had been identified and the deep water of Pulau Sare would ease entry and exit of large vessels in and out of the area.
During the briefing earlier in the day, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah who was invited to respond to issues raised during the briefing said the overall development of the area would include the construction of an airport to facilitate air travel in and out of the anticipated booming Lawas by then.
He gave assurance that electricity to Lawas would be connected to the main state grid by 2022 which with the refinery and downstream activities would be expected to finally require a total 380 MW of power.
By then power from the 1,300 MW Balleh dam would come on stream on the state grid and power supply should not pose any problem, he added.
He said Sarawak government had approved a sum of RM380 million for improving various supporting infrastructural and utility facilities notably water supply in the area which came under the Northern Regional Development Agency (NRDA).
The oil refinery would require about 20 MLD of water for its operation and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah reassured that the upgrading of water supply in the area would take this requirement into consideration.
Also accompanying the Chief Minister were Assistant Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industry Terminal and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Haji Naroden bin Haji Majais, Ministry Permanent Secretary, Datu Liaw Soon Eng, RECODA CEO, Datu Haji Ismawi bin Ismuni and PETROS Executive Vice-President, Janin Girie.
Sumber dari : Sarawakku