H2X Global was selected by the Sarawak State government in Malaysia to help it build the region into a major hydrogen hub through the production and delivery of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

State-owned Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), through its wholly owned subsidiary SEDC Energy, has signed an MOU to form a joint venture with H2X Global for the manufacturing, assembly and development of a range of strategic transport projects.

H2X Global revealed that the JV will immediately begin with the assembly of relevant vehicles – from its trademark Warrego Pick up to City Buses and H2x Hydrogen Powered Generators, taking advantage of the hydrogen distribution network already set-up within Sarawak State.

H2X Global founder and CEO Brendan Norman said Sarawak was already well ahead of most states in the region and was well advanced in the establishment of long-term hydrogen production for both domestic and export use.

“It is likely that Sarawak will not only produce vehicles for its own use but will become a major supplier to other States and countries in the region,” he said.

Establishing South East Asia’s hydrogen epicentre

SEDC Energy has developed a strategic blueprint for Sarawak to become a hub for the emerging ASEAN hydrogen energy market.

The government first introduced hydrogen-powered vehicles in the state in 2019.

This new partnership will see H2X supply and assemble additional vehicles, including in excess of 50 buses in the coming 18 months, to meet growing demand.

SEDC Energy CEO Robert Hardin said Sarawak had a unique opportunity to become a leader in the development of renewable energy transport.

“We have been using hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles for a few years now as Sarawak was an early adopter, and now we are adding projects such as hydrogen production to supply our neighbors, who are now also embracing hydrogen and other forms of renewable energy," said Hardin.

“H2X is a global leader in fuel cell technology, and we believe the joint venture will bring significant economic and environmental benefits to Sarawak and the Sarawak Southern Region Development for Malaysia and the ASEAN region.”

H2X Global is the company behind Australia’s first hydrogen fuel cell electric ute, which attracted more than $50 MM of pre-reservations for the vehicle, set to be delivered to customers in 2022.

That success led the company to expand its product offering through the development of a range of additional vehicles, including heavy-platform vehicles.