The problem is that the biggest buyers are still not in Asia, EcoCeres says.

“The major part of the demand is in Europe,” EcoCeres CEO Matti Lievonen told reporters at a press conference, adding that “absolutely much more than 50 per cent” of the plant’s output would go to the European market because demand in Malaysia and much of the region was still thin.

Producers could build capacity quickly, but demand in Southeast Asia was only starting to gather momentum in tandem with government mandates and long-term commitments, he said.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is promoted as one of the clearest near-term options to cut aviation emissions without waiting for new and green aircraft, since it can be blended into jet fuel and used in existing planes.