July 09, 2026 [Hydrocarbon Processing]- A subsidiary of Chinese oil and gas major Sinopec has signed a contract to design Central Asia’s first large-scale, fully integrated sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) complex, the company said, marking a major step in the group’s overseas low-carbon energy push.

Sinopec Engineering signed a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract with Uzbekistan’s Allied Biofuels FE LLC for the project in Uzbekistan, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

The complex is designed to have an annual production capacity of approximately 160,000 metric tons of biomass-based SAF, 250,000 tons of e-SAF, and 5,000 tons of green diesel.

The plant will primarily use sorghum, rice husks and straw as feedstock, with solar power serving as its main electricity source.

The products are expected to meet aviation industry demand in Central Asia, while also serving export markets in the Middle East and Europe.

The deal marks a significant breakthrough for Sinopec’s refining and engineering arm in its overseas low-carbon and new energy business, the company said.

The project is also expected to help strengthen Uzbekistan’s position as an aviation hub in Central Asia, while accelerating the region’s transition towards clean energy, the company added.