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Southeast Asia is on the brink of becoming a formidable biofuel exporter, with an eye toward expanding its reach into international markets, including Europe. Ahmad Adly, the Vice President of Marketing, Processing, and Trading at Petronas, revealed during the APPEC conference in Singapore that the region's production capabilities are set to exceed local demand. By 2030, the annual output of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Asia is anticipated to reach 4 million metric tons, positioning ASEAN as a potential net exporter to global markets.

Adly emphasized the region's inherent advantages, including abundant access to feedstock, increasing production capacity, and a rapidly accelerating demand for biofuels. Notably, the Asia-Pacific is expected to witness a staggering rise in biofuel consumption for transportation, projected to hit around 250 million liters annually by 2030—the fastest growth rate in the world.

In line with this burgeoning potential, Petronas is actively constructing a biorefinery in Pengerang, Johor, which aims to produce 650,000 tons of biofuel each year. This initiative, developed in partnership with Eni's subsidiary Enilive and Japanese firm Euglena, is expected to commence production in the latter half of 2028. The strategic investments and developments within the region underscore a promising future for Southeast Asia in the global biofuel market.