KUCHING (June 12): Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd (Sarawak Metro) is fully prepared for the operation and maintenance of the Kuching Urban Transportation System’s (KUTS) future fleet of green hydrogen-powered vehicles, said CEO Mazli Mustaffa.

He said this is part of the company’s commitment to transforming the city’s public transport system through the adoption of the hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) and its feeder buses.

Speaking at the Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen (APGH) 2024 conference on Tuesday, Mazli explained that running the trial operations of Southeast Asia’s first hydrogen bus passenger service, which began in 2020, has enabled Sarawak Metro to gather invaluable experience and information on operating zero emissions vehicles for public transport.

“As of today, we have accumulated nearly five years of unique experience in the operations and maintenance of these hydrogen-powered public transport vehicles,” he said when presenting a case study on the KUTS project.

“With a range of 300km, and zero emission, our hydrogen buses are the perfect companion to our ART system.”

He said Sarawak Metro will procure 55 more hydrogen buses to serve as feeder buses for “first and last mile connectivity” for commuters travelling on the ART.

He added that the ART – the backbone of the KUTS project – will have a capacity of 250 passengers and run on virtual tracks on dedicated lanes.

Apart from presenting the case study on the KUTS Project, Mazli was also a forum panellist for the topic of ‘Forging Ahead: Keeping up with the Green Hydrogen Developments in Sarawak’.

The three-day APGH 2024 conference and exhibition brought together industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to discuss the advancements and future of green hydrogen technology in the Asia Pacific region.