Petroliam Nasional Berhad, known as Petronas, is making strides in sustainable energy. Their subsidiary, Petronas Mobility Lestari Sdn. Bhd. (PMLSB), has teamed up with Eni SPA’s Enilive SPA and Japan’s Euglena Co. Ltd. Together, they’ve awarded a contract to NextChem, a subsidiary of Maire SPA based in Rome. This contract is for a hydrogen production unit (HPU) at their new biorefinery in Johor, Malaysia.
NextChem will handle engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC), while also providing its innovative NX Reform technology. This HPU will be capable of producing 38,000 cubic meters of hydrogen per hour, essential for the biorefinery’s operations. The NX Reform technology focuses on creating low-carbon hydrogen, helping to cut emissions and boost production efficiency. The value of this deal is approximately $125 million.
This contract is part of a bigger picture. In late 2024, the joint venture awarded another contract to Samsung E&A Co. Ltd. to be the main contractor for the biorefinery, which is set to be built within Petronas’ existing refinery complex. This new facility will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), and bionaphtha. There’s a growing demand for cleaner fuels in global aviation and transportation.
Biorefinery Overview
The biorefinery received its final investment approval in July 2024, aiming to start operations in late 2028. It will use Ecofining technology created by Eni and Honeywell UOP, allowing it to process around 650,000 tonnes of biofeedstocks annually. These feedstocks will include waste oils, fats, and other biodegradable materials.
Designed to prioritize the production of SAF and HVO, the facility will include a pretreatment unit for its biofeedstocks, which can be sourced locally and internationally due to its location near major shipping routes. PMLSB and Enilive are the primary stakeholders, and they are also looking into using other biomass sources, like microalgae oils. Euglena is committed to speeding up its research to supply algae oil for this project.
In 2023, the joint venture anticipated that their biorefinery would achieve a combined production of 12,500 barrels per day of SAF, HVO, and bionaphtha.
