The FatHopes SAF Refinery Process
How we turn used cooking oil into Sustainable Aviation Fuel
How does FatHopes Energy make Sustainable Aviation Fuel?
It starts with something most people throw away. We collect used cooking oil and other waste oils from restaurants, households and communities, then move it through our own traceable logistics fleet to regional depots and a dedicated waste-focused terminal. From there, the oil is cleaned up to remove impurities and refined through the proven HEFA pathway, turning yesterday's cooking oil into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), renewable diesel and bio-naphtha.
The refinery itself is a brand-new plant in Port Klang, Malaysia, designed to produce around 300,000 tonnes a year, with operations targeted for 2030. And because we already run one of the region's largest waste-oil collection networks, our plant is fed by its own reliable, low-cost supply. Which is exactly what sets us apart from the competition.
Our refinery process, step by step
Our SAF value chain has six connected stages. The first three are our established collection business; the last three are the new refining capabilities we are building.
STAGE 01: Source
Used cooking oil (UCO) and waste oils are collected at source from restaurants, factories, households, communities, schools, temples and municipalities.
STAGE 02: Collection
One of the region’s biggest collection fleets gathers feedstock using sophisticated technology, with a strong focus on full traceability.
STAGE 03: Depot
Collected oil is consolidated at large-footprint depots, run by experienced and competent personnel for efficient aggregation.
STAGE 04: Terminal
A world-first waste-and-residue-focused terminal, purpose-built and equipped to receive, store and manage a wide variety of feedstocks.
STAGE 05: Pre-treatment
Feedstock is cleaned and stabilised to strict specifications, in collaboration with experienced pre-treatment partners in Malaysia.
STAGE 06: Refining
Treated oil is converted into SAF, renewable diesel and bio-naphtha through the HEFA pathway, using globally advanced, licensed technology.
How the HEFA conversion works
HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) is currently the most commercially advanced pathway for SAF production, high maturity, low technology risk (TRL 9), and widely adopted across the petrochemical industry.
Energy and material are recovered from bio-naphtha and process off-gases and fed back into hydrogen production. Improving efficiency and lowering the plant's carbon intensity. A 100–300 KTA plant is the typical optimal scale for the HEFA pathway.
The waste feedstocks we convert into fuel
Our decade of aggregation expertise lets us secure a diversified, low-cost feedstock base, the primary constraint for every HEFA refinery.
Our first SAF refinery at Port Klang
Built at the heart of global trade routes, with direct access to the Straits of Malacca.
What makes our refinery process different
The plant draws powerful synergies from our core aggregation business to stand apart from competitors.
We are our own feedstock provider
Proven, licensed technology
Strategically located
Demand that outstrips supply
Frequently asked questions about our refinery
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a renewable jet fuel made from waste and residue materials — such as used cooking oil — instead of fossil crude. It is chemically similar to conventional jet fuel, so aircraft can use it, and it can dramatically reduce lifecycle carbon emissions from aviation.
HEFA stands for Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids. It converts fats, oils and greases into renewable fuels by treating them with hydrogen. HEFA is the most commercially advanced SAF pathway today, with a technology readiness level of TRL 9 and wide adoption across the petrochemical industry.
The core feedstocks are used cooking oil (UCO) and palm oil mill effluent oil (POME). Additional feedstocks include empty fruit bunch oil (EFBO) and spent bleaching earth oil (SBEO), with algae oil as a long-term strategic feedstock.
The greenfield refinery is being built on 16.12 acres in Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, with direct access to the Straits of Malacca — one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The plant has an indicative capacity of 300,000 tonnes (300 KT) per year, which sits within the 100–300 KTA range considered optimal for the HEFA pathway.
Land was secured in July 2025. Following feasibility studies, FEED, and a Final Investment Decision targeted for Q1 2027, construction is planned to start in Q3 2027, with start of operations targeted for Q2 2030.
The HVO unit produces Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as its primary product, plus renewable diesel (optional) and bio-naphtha as co-products. Energy and material are recovered from bio-naphtha and off-gases to improve efficiency.
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