Promoting sustainable aviation fuels across Southeast Asian Nations
At a glance
GHD delivered a regional techno-economic assessment for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to explore the potential for producing sustainable aviation (SAF) from agricultural and forestry waste. ASEAN is a regional organisation made up of 10 Southeast Asian countries working to accelerate economic growth, social progress and regional cooperation. The findings are helping shape ASEAN’s approach to sustainable aviation fuel.
The challenge
Southeast Asia produces large quantities of agricultural and forestry waste and has growing demand for decarbonised aviation. ASEAN governments recognised the opportunity to convert that waste into SAF, but required an evidence-based, regionally coordinated assessment to evaluate feasibility.
The project, focused on seven member states, sought clarity on:
- What types of waste feedstocks were available and viable
- Which technology pathways would work best in different settings
- How carbon intensity varied by process
- Where supply chains could be built and scaled
- What enabling policies would accelerate deployment
This project was supported by the Canadian Trade and Investment Facility for Development (CTIF), implemented by Cowater International in association with the Institute of Public Affairs Canada (IPAC) under Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funding, with Boeing as a knowledge partner.
With seven countries at different stages of readiness, ASEAN needed a unified strategy grounded in technical, economic and environmental insight.
Our response
GHD delivered a multi-country analysis that examined the SAF opportunity from multiple angles. Working across Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, the team assessed feedstock potential, conversion technologies, carbon intensity, logistics, financial viability and institutional frameworks.
Key activities included:
- Mapping agricultural and forestry waste availability and supply chain constraints
- Evaluating environmental and social safeguards
- Identifying enabling policy options including blending mandates and incentives
- Facilitating and leading a full-day regional SAF seminar with over 150 stakeholders across government, aviation, agriculture and development sectors
GHD leveraged its global and regional expertise to bring this work to life, drawing on internal specialists across energy, environment, economics and infrastructure planning.
The impact
The project confirmed that Southeast Asia has strong potential to become a regional hub for SAF production, especially through waste feedstocks such as rice straw, cassava waste and forestry residues.
Fischer-Tropsch (FT) and Alcohol-to-Jet emerged as the most viable technologies with respect to feedstock compatibility, with FT offering potential for lower carbon intensity through energy self-sufficiency. The work also demonstrated how SAF development can create new jobs, support smallholder farmers and promote gender-inclusive growth.
Based on the strength of the early findings, the project scope expanded from five to seven countries, as well as additional analysis of supply chains and financial models. The results are now supporting ASEAN in its next steps: developing enabling policies, strengthening technical capacity and exploring investment partnerships.
This project aligns with GHD’s vision to make energy sustainable for generations to come. Through our Future Energy initiative, we help clients navigate energy transition with services spanning feasibility studies, policy support, infrastructure planning and clean fuel supply chain design.
Read our press release: Southeast Asia poised to become a global hub for sustainable aviation fuel.