Petronas eyes hydropower for green hydrogen

Malaysian NOC’s CEO hints at key role for cheap hydroelectric power to give it competitive edge

Malaysian NOC Petronas could establish a position as one of Southeast Asia’s most competitive producers of green hydrogen by using hydropower to drive electrolysers, says the company’s president and CEO, Muhammad Taufik. Relatively low levels of solar irradiance and wind could put the country at a disadvantage in terms of electrolysis and create significant intermittency challenges for the wider power system. But low-cost hydropower could boost Petronas’ ability to compete in green hydrogen, Taufik told the International Energy Week conference in London. “Hydroelectricity could be a source of low-cost electricity for the manufacture of green hydrogen,” he says. “You will need to get electrol