KUALA LUMPUR – Used cooking oil has become an important commodity as it can be used as a base material for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which has low carbon emissions.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said it also helps address environmental pollution.
“Previously, used cooking oil was usually just disposed of, causing pollution to waterways and rivers. However, these days, used cooking oil is being used as the base material for the production of SAF.
“In years to come, sustainable aviation fuel is expected to become a mandatory requirement internationally. As such, the collection and recycling of used cooking oil not only helps prevent environmental pollution but also contributes to reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector, which is one of the sectors with the highest carbon emission rates,” he said.
He said this when met at the programme to collect used cooking oil at the Taman Setapak Jaya Ramadan Bazaar organised by FatHopes Energy Sdn Bhd, in collaboration with Eko Setiawangsa here yesterday. It was also attended by FatHopes Energy chief executive officer Vinesh Sinha.
Meanwhile, Vinesh Sinha said the aviation sector is the most difficult to decarbonise due to the lack of viable alternatives.
“Whereas in road transport, multiple options such as electrification and hydrogen are available. As a Malaysian company, we believe it is our responsibility to help solve the world’s biggest challenges,” he said.
He added that the Malaysian government has provided strong support for this initiative and hopes that new policies will be introduced to regulate the country’s entire ecosystem.
He also shared that FatHopes Energy has been collecting used cooking oil at Ramadan bazaars nationwide daily.
“During Ramadan, we can collect around 2,000 to 3,000 kg of used cooking oil per day from each bazaar. This initiative is being carried out nationwide, with the most visible presence in Kuala Lumpur. However, we are also actively operating nationwide, including in Sabah and Sarawak.
“Besides bazaars, we also focus on fast food and food & beverage (F&B) establishments. As of today, we are operating in 160,000 outlets across Malaysia,” he said.