Refining and chemicals company Aster and startup Aether Fuels have announced plans to build a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility on Pulau Bukom — the first in Southeast Asia to produce SAF from waste industrial gases, reports The Business Times.
Construction of the facility, called Project Beacon, is set to begin in 2026, with commercial operations expected to start in 2028. The plant will be located at Aster’s refining complex on Pulau Bukom, which the company acquired from Shell in April this year.
The project marks another major step in Aster’s expansion strategy. The company, a joint venture between Indonesia’s Chandra Asri and commodities trader Glencore, has recently acquired Singapore’s Esso petrol stations and the Jurong Island assets of Shell and Chevron Phillips Singapore Chemicals.
Aster’s chief financial officer, Andre Khor, said the new SAF facility fits with the innovation goals of Aster Ventures, the company’s deep-technology arm. “Our investment approach focuses on technologies that can solve key industrial challenges while supporting the development of advanced energy solutions that complement our existing operations in energy, chemicals, and infrastructure,” he said.
Khor made the remarks during a media briefing at the deal-signing event held at Temasek Shophouse on Tuesday (Nov 11).
Project Beacon will use Aether’s proprietary technology to convert industrial waste gases and biomethane into sustainable aviation fuel — a first for the region. Current producers of SAF, such as Neste, generally use feedstocks like used cooking oil for production.
