Bangchak inaugurates Thailand’s 1st standalone SAF production facility

Photo: Bangchak Corp.

Bangchak Group has inaugurated its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production unit at the Bangchak Phra Khanong refinery.

Operated by BSGF Company Ltd., a Bangchak Group affiliate, the unit complies with rigorous international certification standards.

The company held an official grand-opening ceremony April 25 that was presided over by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, a member of the Thai royal family.

Chaiwat Kovavisarach, group CEO and president of Bangchak Corp., stated this is Thailand’s first fully integrated standalone neat SAF production facility.

Photo: Bangchak Corp.

The unit oversees the entire value chain—from feedstock procurement and processing to product distribution—under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification scheme.

With an initial production capacity of 1 million liters (over 264,000 gallons) per day, the facility employs hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) technology, processing fatty acids or vegetable oils such as used cooking oil into high-quality SAF.

The production process was developed in collaboration with two global technology leaders: Desmet of Belgium, specializing in pretreatment technologies, and Honeywell UOP Honeywell of the United States, a pioneer in hydroprocessing systems.

Photo: Bangchak Corp.

This collaboration ensures quality control across all stages, including feedstock handling, hydrogenation, molecular restructuring and fractionation, resulting in SAF that meets ASTM aviation-fuel standards.

The facility primarily produces neat SAF with byproducts such as bio-LPG and bionaphtha and is currently undergoing plant-performance test runs.

According to the International Energy Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organization, the aviation sector emits around 492 million tons of CO2 annually, despite accounting for only 2.9 percent of global energy consumption.

SAF is therefore a critical driver in global decarbonization strategies, capable of reducing aviation emissions by up to 80 percent—a more cost-effective and impactful solution compared to other available technologies.

Several countries have introduced SAF blending mandates, including the EU (2 percent by 2025 and 6 percent by 2030), the UK (2 percent by 2025 and 10 percent by 2030), and Singapore (1 percent by 2026 and 5 percent by 2030).

Thailand is currently considering the introduction of such a mandate.

Beyond its carbon-reduction benefits, SAF significantly improves air quality.

Photo: Bangchak Corp.

It contains minimal aromatic compounds—substances linked to serious health risks including cancer and extremely low levels of sulfur—helping to reduce particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions and mitigate the risk of acid rain.

“This initiative underscores Bangchak’s leadership in energy innovation, building on more than 20 years of experience in renewable energy,” the company stated.

The journey began in 2000 with a collaboration with the Royal Thai Naval Dockyard to develop a biodiesel plant using used cooking oil for the Royal Chitralada Projects, followed by Thailand’s first commercial biodiesel offering at Bangchak service stations in 2004.

In 2008, Bangchak launched its used cooking oil buy-back program from communities and networks.

Today, through the “Fry to Fly” campaign, the public can sell used cooking oil at over 290 Bangchak service stations nationwide, with a target to expand to 2,000 stations by the end of 2025.

The company is also building partnerships across the public and private sectors to ensure long-term feedstock security and is preparing to implement a book-and-claim system, a mechanism adopted by leading global organizations that will allow passengers and airlines to claim SAF usage and receive verified carbon-reduction credits.