Biomass refinery to locate in Malaysia

Will partner Malaysia government and business firms.

Work on the facility is to begin in Johor in late 2014. The plant will be developed by MYBiomass, a collaboration between the Malaysian Industry Government Group for High Technology, and renewable energy business Sime Darby and Felda Global Ventures.

An investment of US$150 million is needed to ensure the plant will be able to have a production capacity of 60,000 tonnes a year. It will become the second in the world to convert biomass waste into renewable products before 2017. This refinery will start off with a focus on oil palm biomass where it will be converted into industrial sugar and isobutanol.