Petroleum company Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), Japanese biotech firm Euglena and Enilive – a subsidiary of Italian energy multinational Eni – have agreed to jointly develop a biorefinery in Malaysia to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).
Located at PETRONAS’ Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) in Johor, the facility was expected to become operational by the second half of 2028, the companies said on 26 July.
PETRONAS Mobility Lestari Sdn Bhd (PMLSB), a subsidiary of PETRONAS alongside Enilive, would be the largest shareholders of the joint venture.
“We believe the project will contribute towards Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and see us progress towards PETRONAS’ Net Zero Carbon Emissions 2050 aspiration,” PETRONAS’ vice president, refining, trading and marketing, Ahmad Adly Alias said.
With construction expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, the facility would have the capacity to produce about 650,000 tonnes/year of SAF, HVO and bio-naphtha from used vegetable oils, animal fats and vegetable oil processing waste upon completion, the companies said.
Other feedstocks, including microalgae oils, would be explored in the mid-term.
