Malaysia has clarified that the use of palm oil as a bio-based feedstock for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will not trigger negative perceptions among European buyers, despite long-standing concerns over deforestation and sustainability. According to Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari, the key issue for Europe is not the crop itself, but whether the feedstock meets credible sustainability and traceability standards. He emphasized that Malaysia’s MSPO (Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil) certification provides strong assurance that every ton of palm oil is produced responsibly and can be confidently accepted by international markets.

Johari made the comments during his visit to EcoCeres Renewable Fuels, Malaysia’s first SAF biorefinery, which recently began commercial production and holds a licensed annual capacity of 350,000 tonnes. He highlighted Malaysia’s natural advantage as the world’s second-largest palm oil producer, positioning the country as a competitive raw-material hub for the global SAF industry.

At the same time, Malaysia is expanding its waste-cooking-oil (UCO) collection network, as UCO remains a highly rated SAF feedstock in Europe. Since July 2023, more than 1,200 tonnes of UCO have been collected from 89 PETRONAS stations nationwide.

Johari also revealed that Malaysia is preparing a mandate requiring all international flights departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport to use at least 1% SAF in their fuel blend.