Comparing Canadian and Malaysian prospects – PV Magazine International

The world needs a transition from sustainable energy. The combustion of fossil fuels – that is responsible 82 percent of the global energy supply – Releases 41 Gigatonnes greenhouse gas annually In the atmosphere. This must stop. A combination of renewable energy sources, storage activa, energy efficiency, admission and removal technologies and other sources, tools and strategies must be used worldwide, in response.

Given the omnipresent roles that energy plays in global life – offering mobility, heating and cooling, lighting, communication, industrial and other services – it may not be surprising to hear that there is no answer. Instead, the solution will be different in different places: what works in a dense urban area will not necessarily work in the countryside and vice versa.

An effective global response strategy is therefore necessarily a portfolio of actions: some will focus on the demand side, others on the supply side; Moreover, some will focus on emission reductions that are within relatively easy reach (so -called ‘Low regret options‘), while others need long -term thinking to discover a sustainable path ahead (the so -called’difficult to keep sectors‘). All are crucial to the 40% Redings We need this decade And for the 2050 Net-Zero Timeline also.

We want to contribute to this portfolio by investigating hydrogen as a potential carbon arbonization strategy for external communities in Canada and Malaysia. We assess the respective situations of the two countries before we present a value proposition for secondary work – both individually and together.

Hydrogen in national debates

Canadas Hydrogen strategy is central to the plan of the country to reach net emissions by 2050. Published in 2020, it has hydrogen that supplies up to 30% of end user energy and reduces emissions by 45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (MT-CO₂e) annually, with reductions in the course of the market. De middellange termijn en uiteindelijk snelle expansie tegen 2050. Belangrijkste sectoren voor eindgebruik omvatten petrochemicaliën, transport met lange afstand (vrachtwagens, schepen, treinen en bussen), brandstofcel elektrische voertuigen en verwarming, met adoptie die wordt gekatalyseerd door financieringsmobilisatie, voorschriften, normen, certificeringen, vaardighedenbeleid en kenniscreatie.

Hydrogen is part of Malaysia’s national plans for more than 20 years. Continuous attention in the 11^one and 12^one Malaysia plans (2016-2020 And 2021-2025respectively) cleared the way for the development of the first of the country Hydrogen technology and economy road mapReleased in December 2023. With the vision ‘to be a leading country of hydrogen economy by 2050, while achieving the low -carbon goals’, the hydrogen production volume should reach 16 mt in one scenario. Agriculture, iron and steel, transport and power generation are some of the most important sectors for implementation. Also remarkable in Malaysia are the roles that some of the 13 states of the country – Sarawak, for example, have, for example His own hydrogen ambitions.

Remote communities and sustainable energy

Remote communities in Canada are defined as fewer than 10,000 people, without residents who commute to urban areas for work; Many are located in the north of Canada and have a majority of indigenous population. About 178 of the remote communities of Canada Lack of grid electricity and natural gas infrastructure. Instead, these communities mainly use diesel for electricity and heating, leading to high costs, local air pollution and environmental hazards of leaks or spilling. To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, Renewable energy projects – The use of, for example, solar energy, hybrid systems and heat pumps – have been launched in a number of external communities. The Canadian government supports these efforts through efforts such as the Clean energy for the program for national and external communities.

Malaysia has more than 800 islands – with almost half of these (395) in the state of Sabah on the island of Borneo – and they are the home of the majority of the remote communities of the country. These external communities are either weakly linked to grid electricity or fully trust independent diesel generators. Various efforts have been put forward to electrify external communities with the help of renewable and hybrid systems. In 2015, for example, the Sarawak government has one National Machtmaster Plan (or national power supply schedule), which has achieved its goal to electrify all households by 2025. However, the share of the net zero energy sources in new electrification is very low due to high battery costs, maintenance maintenance challenge and hard weather conditions (ie high moisture, high corrosion speeds, warm weather and a complex transport system of numerous small boats).

Hydrogen as a contribution to sustainable energy transition in remote communities

Hydrogen can be a promising tool to promote the transition from sustainable energy in external communities in Canada. A Small demonstration project (2009-2013) In Bella Coola, British Columbia, for example, relieved the potential of hydrogen and fuel cell systems to reduce the diesel consumption by integrating hydrogen via electrolysis driven by renewable energy, storing the hydrogen for later use and the use of a micrographery system and checking system and checking system and checking system and checking system and checking system and checking system and checking system and control system and Fuel cells. Moreover, A Recently published report argues that positive effects can be wide, which shows how to include hydrogen in the energy mix of remote off-grid communities to eliminate the use of the diesel completely. Specifically design And energy planning Efforts to achieve this are brought forward.

Hydrogen has become a strategic fuel to achieve energy diversity in Malaysia, whereby the Sarawak government wants to develop a hydrogen-based economy, for example. Especially attractive for external communities is the fact that hydrogen can play a crucial role in tackling not only electric demand, but also thermal, agricultural and mobility requirements – namely hydrogen can be a supplement to natural gas for cooking and heating, as well as effective fuel for agricultural equipment and transport. Recently the Development Program (UNDP) of the United Nations has financed a project in Malaysia in which hydrogen will be used as a fuel for green waste management in Pulau Gaya. Led by The University of Malaya100 households will benefit from environmentally friendly waste management systems, which are expected to reduce costs by more than 80%.

Possibilities for complementarities and synergies

A few things are clear from this short review:

• The energy transition is underway in both Canada and Malaysia.
• Remote communities in both countries have their own specific opportunities and challenges.
• Work on how hydrogen can serve to promote sustainability is underway.

While hydrogen seems to have recently lost part of his popular shineIt must remain part of the ResponSportfolio in the future. Exploring his potential contribution to the remote communities of Canada and Malaysia is work that is worth striving.

In addition to encouraging action in the two countries, there are also individual reasons for connecting Canada and Malaysia in the research and activity of energy transition too.

Canada and Malaysia are both parliamentary federations, and both works to advance prosperous paths in respective regions that always feel tense and turbulent. Moreover, they are both often characterized as’Middle Powers‘Trying to exert influence on the global order. Agreements such as these suggest that they can benefit from shared reflection.

And indeed, Canada and Malaysia have had lively bilateral relationships Almost seven decades. In forums such as the Association of Southeast -Asian countries (Asean)the Commonwealthand the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum – That recently Intensive cooperation in hydrogen -The two countries work side by side.

So we should not only work on the development of sustainable energy in external communities in these two countries, but it should also be connected internationally. We think that universities are in a unique position to lead this charge.

Research into how hydrogen can be part of a transition from sustainable energy for external communities is – as we argue above with somewhat different words – a ‘long game’. It requires imagination, experiments, connections, ‘safe spaces’ to investigate and real partnerships. Universities are of course world leaders in discovering new roads ahead, and they are also increasingly being recognized as particularly well positioned to be impactful agents in society. Add to that the fact that international bonds unite all types of academic researchers, the potential for shared learning increases across borders.

We must speed up the energy transition to promote multiple social goals. Local and national work on part of the response portfolio – enriched through international cooperation – can make meaningful contributions.

Authors: Ian H. Rowlands, Muhammad Shakeel Ahmad and Münür Herdem

Ian H. Rowlands is a professor at the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He has research, education and community interests in sustainable energy transitions and administration of climate change. He is the author or co-author of more than 65 articles published in international magazines, including Energy policy, energy research and social sciencesAnd Reviews for sustainable and sustainable energy.

Muhammad Shakeel Ahmad has completed his promotion with thesis -interruption of the University of Malaya, Malaysia, he currently serves as a senior teacher at the University of Malaya. He also served as an university teacher at Uet, Peshawar, Pakistan. His research interest is aimed at integrating renewable energy and materials with green hydrogen as a priority energy carrier.

Münür Herdem is a Balsillie School of International Affairs Scholar and project coordinator of affordable energy for humanity at the University of Waterloo in Canada. His research focuses on technologies for clean energy, hydrogen governance and global energy transitions. He has written countless peer-reviewed publications about energy access, policy and technology innovation.