Sarawak to go big in sustainable aviation fuel

Sarawak will begin commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from microalgae next year, and by 2030, the largest state of Malaysia aims to produce 100,000 barrels of SAF per day. Deputy state secretary Datuk Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel said microalgae grown in waters mixed with carbon dioxide would be used to produce SAF, which is increasingly adopted by global airlines. SAF, which reportedly could reduce carbon emissions by about 80%, have powered some 450,000 flights by mid-June 2022. AirAsia, for example, is also exploring options to introduce SAF into its fuel mix before 2025. Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) is also investing in SAF technology from crude algae oil that is being developed in Sarawak. The use of carbon dioxide for the cultivation of microalgae comes at a time when Sarawak is also exploring more business opportunities in the multi-billion-dollar carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industry. “We have identified 10,000 acres of land in Bintulu for the purpose of algae plantation. About 1,000 acres of algae can produce 10,000 barrels of SAF a day, so with 10,000 acres, we can produce 100,000 barrels by 2030,” he said.<br/>