UMeWorld advances Project Verdant™ into next phase of commercial development
- UMeWorld Inc.
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
UMeWorld Inc. announced July 14 that it has engaged FGE NexantECA, a global provider of market intelligence and strategic consulting across the energy and chemicals value chain, to conduct an independent feasibility study for Phase 1 of Project Verdant™, the company’s planned renewable aviation-fuels hub in Malaysia.
The independent feasibility study represents an important milestone in the development of Project Verdant.
The study will provide an independent technical and commercial assessment of the project before it advances to engineering, project financing and commercial construction.
FGE NexantECA has supported more than $200 billion of global energy-infrastructure investments and has extensive experience advising renewable fuels and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects worldwide.
Key highlights include:
Independent validation begins—Project Verdant advances from internal feasibility to independent third-party validation, an important milestone before engineering, project financing and commercial construction.
Phase 1 targets production of approximately 200,000 metric tons of SAF annually. Based on the company’s current internal feasibility assessment, management estimates Phase 1 could generate more than $500 million in annual revenue once commercial operations commence.
Scalable renewable aviation-fuels hub—While the independent feasibility study focuses on Phase 1, Project Verdant is being developed as a phased renewable aviation-fuels hub with potential future expansion in production capacity, renewable feedstock integration and next-generation aviation-fuel technologies.
Growing market opportunity—Independent market research projects global SAF demand to increase from approximately 2 million tons in 2025 to nearly 13 million tons by 2030, supporting long-term demand for additional production capacity.
The independent feasibility study will evaluate Project Verdant’s technical configuration, renewable feedstock strategy, capital expenditure, operating expenditure, logistics, market outlook and project economics.
The study establishes a commercial baseline utilizing proven hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) technology and renewable lipid feedstocks.
Upon completion, the independent feasibility study is expected to provide the independent technical and commercial assessment supporting the next stage of discussions with regional development finance institutions, multilateral lenders, commercial lenders and strategic project-equity partners as Project Verdant advances toward engineering, project financing and commercial development.
In parallel, UMeWorld continues advancing its proprietary microbial-oil initiatives, which management believes have the potential to diversify future feedstock supply, improve long-term project economics and support future expansion.
The project-development timeline:
Third-quarter 2026—Independent feasibility study completed.
Fourth-quarter 2026—Front-end engineering design (FEED) commences.
Second-quarter 2027—FEED completed.
Third-quarter 2027—Project financing and final-investment decision (FID).
Fourth-quarter 2027—Construction commences.
Third-quarter 2029—Initial commercial operations.
“This marks a major milestone in the development of Project Verdant,” said UMeWorld CEO Michael Lee. “We have completed our internal feasibility work, and the next step is to have one of the world’s leading independent energy advisors provide an objective technical and commercial assessment before we advance into engineering and project financing. Independent validation is a standard step in the development of major energy-infrastructure projects and helps establish the technical and commercial foundation for the next stage of project development. Project Verdant is more than a single SAF production facility. Our vision is to develop an integrated renewable aviation-fuels hub where renewable fuel production and industrial biotechnology are developed together. In addition to establishing commercial SAF production, Phase 1 includes the development of our proprietary microbial-oil platform, creating the foundation for a diversified and scalable renewable feedstock ecosystem. We believe this integrated approach differentiates Project Verdant from conventional SAF developments by combining proven fuel production technology with proprietary feedstock innovation. As the project evolves, we intend to expand both SAF production and microbial-oil capacity while evaluating additional aviation-fuel technologies. Our objective is straightforward—execute each milestone, reduce project risk and build a long-term platform supporting the aviation industry’s transition toward lower-carbon fuels.”
