Samsung enters SAF market with first biofuel plant in Malaysia

Samsung has secured a contract for a new biorefinery that will have the capability to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) to cater to the growing demands of the global aviation and transportation industries.
It is Samsung’s first entry into the SAF market, a new business initiative in the era of energy transition.
The company announced that it had received a Letter of Award (LoA) for the project in Malaysia from Enilive, on behalf of a joint venture consisting of Petronas Mobility Lestari. The EPCC contract, valued at $955 million (€912 million), is targeted to be officially signed by the end of January 2025.
This biorefinery will be located within Petronas’ Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC), Johor, Malaysia, and upon completion, will have the capability to process about 650,000 tonnes per year of raw materials to produce SAF, HVO, and bio-naphtha.
The wastes and residue feedstocks for the biorefinery will comprise used vegetable oils, animal fats, waste from the processing of vegetable oils, and other biomass, including microalgae oils are expected to be explored in the mid-term.
Hong Namkoong, President and CEO of Samsung E&A stated: “Since we are carrying out the project in Malaysia, a major Asian market for us, we expect stable performance with our accumulated experience and technology. By successfully carrying out the company’s first SAF project, we will expand our position in the carbon-neutral, eco-friendly field in the future.”