Bangchak starts Thailand’s first commercial SAF production
Bangchak Group says its standalone HEFA-SPK unit at Phra Khanong refinery will support low-carbon aviation fuel demand at home and overseas.
- Bangchak Group has launched Thailand's first commercial production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at its Phra Khanong Refinery.
- The fuel is produced in the country's first standalone HEFA-SPK unit, which converts renewable feedstocks like used cooking oil.
- This initiative supports Thailand's Net Zero targets and addresses the growing demand for low-carbon aviation fuel.
- The company is preparing for its first export of SAF to a global buyer, demonstrating its readiness for the international market.
Bangchak Group has begun Thailand’s first commercial production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from the country’s first standalone HEFA-SPK SAF production unit, located within Bangchak Phra Khanong Refinery.
The development marks an important step into the future energy era, supporting the Net Zero target, responding to growth in the low-carbon aviation fuel market in Thailand and internationally, and preparing the group for its first export to overseas markets.
HEFA-SPK stands for Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene, a form of SAF made from renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil.
Chaiwat Kovavisarach, Group Chief Executive Officer of Bangchak Group and President of Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, said Bangchak Group’s SAF production unit, which had drawn interest from many sectors and had been awaited for a long time, had been completed and was now in full commercial operation.
The unit was pioneered and developed from the ground up into a plant meeting international standards to support the future low-carbon aviation fuel industry.
In addition to building the SAF production unit as part of its move towards Net Zero, Bangchak Group has steadily developed an ecosystem for used cooking oil (UCO), covering collection, feedstock management and conversion into SAF and Renewable Diesel (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil: HVO), an environmentally friendly bio-based diesel fuel.
The initiative supports both energy security and energy sustainability, even though many countries have yet to set clear policies to support the use of SAF.
Bangchak Group will make its first SAF export to a global buyer on Tuesday (May 19, 2026), reflecting Thailand’s readiness to enter the international supply chain for next-generation aviation fuel in terms of product quality, certification standards and infrastructure.
It is another important step in building on the group’s role as a pioneer of renewable energy in Thailand towards becoming a future-energy leader, while reaffirming Bangchak Group’s commitment to becoming a global leader in Greenovation under its vision, “Crafting a Sustainable World with Greenovation.”
