M’sia hopes CPO jet fuel will be accepted by ICAO

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is hoping that jet fuel made from crude palm oil (CPO) will be accepted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Being one of the biggest palm oil producers in the world, he said Malaysia had introduced the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification scheme in 2013 to address global concerns on the sustainable production of palm oil, such as mitigating biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions.

However, Dr Wee said CPO does not qualify as eligible fuel under ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (Corsia).

“In view of this, the Malaysian government hopes that CPO will be included as an acceptable feedstock under Corsia in future,” he said during a panel discussion at the Changi Aviation Summit in Singapore yesterday.

He said Malaysia recognises the importance of utilising Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in reducing carbon emissions from its operations as well as meeting the aviation industry’s global aspirational goals.

However, Dr Wee said the current market price of SAF is three times more than conventional jet fuel, making it economically unfeasible to be used by aircraft operators.

“Hence, Malaysia would like to reiterate ICAO’s assembly resolution A40-18, which acknowledges the need for SAF to be developed and deployed in an economically feasible, as well as socially and environmentally acceptable manner,” he said.

Dr Wee also said Malaysia recognises that the use of SAF must go beyond being just Corsia-compliant in order to support the aviation industry’s goal in environmental protection, which is to halve emissions based on 2005 levels by 2050.