Japan Plans Carbon Storage Project in Malaysia Amid Climate Debate
Bangkok: Japan plans to ship carbon emissions to Malaysia in a first-of-its-kind Southeast Asian carbon capture and storage project, a process that critics argue may be more symbolic than effective in addressing climate change.
Malaysia is positioning itself as a regional hub for this technology, which captures, transports, and buries carbon dioxide. With about 81% of Malaysia’s electricity generated from fossil fuels, climate activists warn that carbon capture is an expensive distraction from proven solutions like transitioning to renewable energy.
Japan intends to transport emissions from heavily polluting sectors including electric power, oil refining, cement, shipping, and steel to Malaysia in the coming years. If successful, experts say the project could pave the way for similar initiatives in neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Thailand.
Critics caution that the plan shifts the burden of climate change onto Malaysia rather than addressing emissions at their source. Rachel Kennerley, a carbon capture specialist at the Center for International Environmental Law, said the project “dangerously shifts the burden of climate change onto Malaysia rather than onto Japan.”
The process involves capturing emissions at industrial sites, separating carbon dioxide from other gases, liquefying it, and transporting it via specially designed ships to burial sites, likely in depleted gas fields off the coast of Sarawak on Borneo. The sites will require ongoing monitoring to prevent leaks.
Proponents, including some governments and fossil fuel companies like Exxon Mobil and Shell, view carbon capture as a temporary solution to allow for cleaner energy transitions. Similar projects are underway in Europe, with the EU’s first offshore facility, taking emissions from Denmark to the seabed of the North Sea, set to operate by mid-2026, while a Norwegian facility launched last year is testing cross-border carbon shipments.
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