Sulzer helps build leading renewable fuel plant

Sulzer Chemtech will support Vandelay Ventures Sdn Bhd in the construction of a world scale production facility for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and renewable diesel. © Sulzer

Thanks to this partnership, Sabah Maju Jaya Renewable Energy Industrial Complex (SMJREIC) in Sapangar Bay, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, will be able to produce 250’000 tonnes of renewable fuels per year while maintaining low emissions.

Under the agreement, Sulzer Chemtech, in cooperation with Duke Technologies LLC, will provide its BioFlux® licensed technology, basic engineering packages (BEP) and technical services to the SMJREIC facility. These will enable the hydrotreatment of bio-based feedstocks and their selective conversion into high-quality SAF and renewable diesel.

The BioFlux technology is a cost-effective, energy- and resource-efficient solution for the production of more sustainable fuels and can reduce carbon intensity by up to 11%, compared to conventional hydrotreating units.

With an expected capacity of 250’000 tonnes, SMJREIC will be able to play a key role in driving the adoption of SAF in the aviation industry. In effect, it will contribute to meeting growing demands, given that SAF usage in 2022 already reached 150 million liters (approx. 120’000 tonnes) ⁽¹⁾.

In cooperation with Duke Technologies LLC, Sulzer Chemtech will provide its BioFlux® licensed technology, basic engineering packages (BEP) and technical services to the SMJREIC facility. © Sulzer

Haji Mohamed Mohar, CEO at Vandelay Ventures Sdn Bhd, comments: “With our renewable fuels complex we aim to drive the decarbonization of the transportation as well as the manufacturing industries. We can achieve this with Sulzer Chemtech’s leading technology and expertise, as BioFlux will help us use more sustainable feedstocks at a large scale as well as minimize the environmental impact of biofuel production.”
Sander van Donk, Global Business Unit Head for Clean Fuels and Chemicals Licensing at Sulzer Chemtech, adds: “This is a truly ambitious project, and we are proud to be part of it to open the door to a net-zero carbon energy future. We look forward to leveraging our BioFlux technology and engineering capabilities to support one of the largest, low-carbon renewable fuels plants in South-East Asia.”

(1) International Air Transport Association (IATA). (2022). Net zero 2050: sustainable aviation fuels. Available: https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/pressroom/fact-sheets/fact-sheet—alternative-fuels/ [Accessed 03 November 2022]

About Sulzer

Sulzer is a global leader in fluid engineering. We specialize in pumping, agitation, mixing, separation and application technologies for fluids of all types. Our customers benefit from our commitment to innovation, performance and quality and from our responsive network of 180 world- class manufacturing facilities and service centers across the globe. Sulzer has been headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, since 1834. In 2021, our 13’800 employees delivered revenues of CHF 3.2 billion. Our shares are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: SUN).

The Chemtech division is the global market leader in innovative mass transfer, static mixing and polymer solutions for chemicals, petrochemicals, refining and LNG. We are steering the way in ecological solutions such as bio-based chemicals, polymers and fuels, recycling technologies for textiles and plastic as well as carbon capture and utilization/storage, contributing to a circular and sustainable economy. Our product offering ranges from process components to complete process plants and technology licensing.