Malaysian biofuel feedstock supplier Fathopes Energy's planned sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant will reach a final investment decision (FID) in the first quarter of 2026, it said.
Intital engineering design will be done from July to December 2025, Fathopes' director Eddy Leong said at an event on 10 April, speaking on behalf of the company's chief executive Vinesh Sinha. The plant's capacity is unconfirmed.
Fathopes signed an initial agreement at the event with testing, inspection and certification company AmSpec Group. They aim to identify, assess and document feedstocks across Asia-Pacific, Australia and New Zealand that can be used at the planned plant. The agreement will take effect from 1 June. Besides used cooking oil (UCO), other waste feedstocks such as palm oil mill effluent (Pome) oil and spent bleaching earth oil (SBEO) will be explored.
Fathopes will take the lead in collecting feedstock samples, while AmSpec will analyse their suitability for SAF production. Amspec will help develop an on-site SAF laboratory at the plant to ensure compliance with industry standards and environmental regulations.
Fathopes had signed an initial agreement with Danish technology firm Topsoe in February, in which Topsoe agreed to provide catalysts and engineering expertise to assess feasibility of building the refinery.
