Bangchak Group launches Thailand’s 1st commercial SAF production

Photo: Bangchak Group

Bangchak Group announced May 18 that it has launched Thailand’s first commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from the country’s first 100 percent hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) standalone production unit at Bangchak Phra Khanong Refinery.

The milestone marks an important step in Thailand’s transition toward future energy, supporting net-zero ambitions while responding to growing demand for SAF in Thailand and overseas.

The group is also set to make its first SAF export.

Chaiwat Kovavisarach, the group CEO and president of Bangchak Corp. Public Co. Ltd., said that Bangchak Group’s much-anticipated SAF production plant has now been completed and is fully operational.

The facility was built from scratch into a world-class production plant designed to support the next generation of SAF.

Beyond building the SAF plant as part of the Group’s net-zero journey, Bangchak Group has also created an ecosystem around used cooking oil (UCO) covering collection, feedstock management and conversion into SAF and renewable diesel, one of the cleanest forms of diesel fuel available today.

This helps strengthen both energy security and energy sustainability, even as many countries have yet to establish clear SAF mandates.

The first SAF export to a world-class buyer was scheduled to take place May 19, reflecting Thailand’s readiness to enter the global next-generation aviation fuel supply chain through product quality, certification standards and infrastructure readiness.

Bangchak said the milestone marks another important step in its journey from a pioneer in Thailand’s renewable energy sector to a leader in future energy, while reaffirming the group’s commitment under its vision of “Crafting a Sustainable World with Greenovation.”