UAE-based MENA Biofuels announced progress in developing the country’s first commercial sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant with the signing of an offtake agreement with Emirates Petroleum Company PJSC (Emarat) on 4 November.
UAE-based MENA Biofuels announced progress in developing the country’s first commercial sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant with the signing of an offtake agreement with Emirates Petroleum Company PJSC (Emarat) on 4 November.
The firm said in a press release the same day that the US$300M project in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) was scheduled to be built in two phases and would convert used cooking oil (UCO) and other waste-based feedstocks into certified SAF, producing 125M litres/year.
Phase I investment would deliver 125M litres/year (around 18% of the UAE’s 2030 SAF target), with Phase II set to double capacity to 250M litres/year, contributing up to 36% of the nation’s SAF goal.
MENA Biofuels said it had launched the first of two Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) tenders for the SAF facility. The first EPCC package would cover the receiving, storage, and distribution facilities for feedstock, SAF, and by-products. Within first quarter 2026, MENA said it would issue the second EPCC tender, covering the SAF refinery process units and associated infrastructure.
The Emarat offtake deal would enable domestic SAF offtake and distribution across the UAE and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) aviation market, it added.
Mena Biofuels is a subsidiary of commodities trading and infrastructure company Mercantile & Maritime Group (MM Group), which is active in trading, logistics, infrastructure and sustainable fuels.
Emirates Petroleum Company PJSC (Emarat) is one of the UAE's leading energy providers.
