SARAWAK has started testing its RM6 billion hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system in the state capital.

Premier Abang Johari Openg in kicking off the trial this afternoon said the state is “walking the talk” in mitigating carbon emissions when it decided to use clean and sustainable hydrogen to power its ART vehicles.

“We are not just talking about it (reducing carbon emissions). We are doing it,” he told reporters after taking a test ride on a prototype ART vehicle.

He said the move made Sarawak the first in Southeast Asia to use hydrogen in its public transport system.

Sarawak Metro, implementer of the Kuching Urban Transport System (KUTS), said the engineering run is to “refine the specification of the ART unit (coach) and also to identify any potential issues before proceeding with the POC (proof of concept) exercise”.

“It is also to assess and appraise the performance and the functionality of the ART vehicle,” said Sarawak Metro.

KUTS serves as the backbone to minimise and alleviate traffic congestion towards Kuching.

At the heart of KUTS is the ART system.

Stage 2 of the exercise will be in November, and aims to gather data to evaluate the feasibility of the prototype for the final design of the ART unit.

It would be tested on a 3km double lane built between two roundabouts on the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway in Kota Samarahan.

Stage 1 of the POC exercise was conducted in March at the CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd facility in Hunan province.

CRRC developed the ART vehicle.

The zero-emission vehicle will run on dedicated, trackless lanes. The lanes will be either road level or elevated.

Abang Johari said Sarawak Metro wanted to buy 38 vehicles to service the three lines – the Blue Line from Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in the city centre; the Red Line from Kuching Sentral to Pending; and the Green Line from Pending to Damai – in Phase 1 of the lines’ development. – September 6, 2023.