EcoCeres opens Malaysia’s first sustainable aviation fuel plant in Johor
This is amid the country’s push to decarbonise aviation and expand its renewable fuels footprint
[PASIR GUDANG, JOHOR] EcoCeres opened Malaysia’s first commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel production facility on Monday (Jan 26), as the country steps up its efforts to decarbonise aviation and expand its footprint in renewable fuels.
Located in Johor’s Tanjung Langsat industrial area, the facility has an annual capacity of 420,000 tonnes, EcoCeres said. The Bain Capital-backed renewable fuel producer added that commercial operations began last October.
In a speech, Minister of Plantation and Commodities Noraini Ahmad described the launch as a “historic moment”, highlighting that EcoCeres is the first in Malaysia to produce sustainable aviation fuel on a commercial scale.
Such fuel is “one of the most important tools to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector”, Dr Noraini said.
EcoCeres chief executive Matti Lievonen told a press conference that Malaysia is an “excellent” location for the plant, as it grants access to feedstock from the country and other South-east Asian markets, as well as seaborne logistics for global deliveries.
He said that Europe will remain EcoCeres’ main target market due to the strong demand there, driven by green fuel blending mandates. “Beyond Europe, we’re building markets in the Asia-Pacific – including South-east Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore,” he added.
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Dr Peter Lee, founder of family office Full Vision Capital, noted that EcoCeres began in a small laboratory in Hong Kong and has since grown into the world’s second-largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel.
He called the new facility an example of how regional sustainability commitments can contribute to global climate solutions.
Hong Kong Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment) Eddie Cheung said the Johor plant marks a “connecting point” between Hong Kong and Malaysia, supporting decarbonisation efforts.
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