Photo 1. Dr. Tharinya Supasa, Head of Sustainable and Renewable Energy (SRE) Department, ACE; Dato’ Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE; Helene Burger, Asia-Pacific SAF & Sustainability Officer of Airbus; and Juha-Pekka Hoikka, Chief Representative Philippines of Airbus, during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and Airbus at the ASEAN SAF Convergence Forum in Manila, Philippines
Manila, 06 October 2026 – The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and Airbus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a three-year cooperation programme to support the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in ASEAN. The MoU was signed during the ASEAN SAF Convergence Forum, held as part of the ASEAN Energy Business Forum 2026 (AEBF-26) in Manila, Philippines.
The Centre was represented by Executive Director Dato’ Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, and Airbus was represented by Helene Burger, Airbus Asia-Pacific SAF & Sustainability Officer, witnessed by Dr Tharinya Supasa, Head of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy (SRE) Department of ACE and Juha-Pekka Hoikka, Airbus Country Representative Philippines. The signing reflects the shared interest of both organisations in strengthening knowledge exchange and exploring cooperation to support SAF development across ASEAN.
The partnership brings together ACE’s regional energy expertise and engagement with ASEAN Member States with Airbus’ technical knowledge and experience in aviation and SAF. Through the cooperation, both organisations will undertake technical research, capacity building, workshops, and policy dialogue to strengthen regional understanding of SAF opportunities and the conditions needed to support its development.
The cooperation will explore key areas across the SAF value chain, including sustainable feedstocks, production pathways, supply chains, costs, demand, and enabling policy and market conditions. The activities are intended to provide evidence and technical insights that can support ASEAN Member States as they assess SAF opportunities and pathways appropriate to their respective national circumstances.
The cooperation also represents an initial effort in rolling-out SAF development under the ASEAN energy cooperation. It aligns with the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026–2030, including the ASEAN Renewable Energy Strategic Pathway and ASEAN’s aspirational target of achieving a 30% renewable energy share by 2030.
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