Formosa Smart Energy Expands Sustainable Aviation Fuel Feedstock Portfolio as Algae Oil Passes ISCC EU Certification

Formosa Smart Energy Tech Corporation (FSET) has reached an important milestone in sustainable energy strategy as its subsidiary, CH Algae Corpora-tion, has successfully obtained International Sustainability & Carbon Certifi-cation (ISCC) EU for its algae oil, demonstrating its capabilities in sustainable feedstock production and traceable supply chain management. In response to Taiwan’s policy target of achieving a 5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) us-age rate for international aviation by 2030, FSET is developing microalgae-based feedstock for domestic SAF production to enhance supply stability and self-sufficiency. The certification marks a critical step toward integrating al-gae oil into the international sustainable fuel supply chain and accelerating its commercialization and market applications.

Sandy Wang, Chairperson of FSET and FBC said that as demand for SAF con-tinues to grow, feedstock supply must evolve through diversified pathways. Formosa Biomedical Technology Corp. will adopt a circular economy ap-proach by recovering used cooking oil and refining it into SAF feedstock, while FSET will leverage microalgae technology to develop bio-based feed-stock that can be produced locally. These two pathways—one based on the cir-cular use of existing resources and the other on emerging biotechnology—offer distinct advantages while complementing each other. A diversified and parallel approach is essential to establish a self-reliant and more resilient next-generation SAF feedstock supply system.

Sandy Wang pointed out that ISCC EU is an EU recognized sustainability cer-tification scheme and a crucial certification mechanism for renewable fuel feedstocks entering the European SAF supply chain. The scope of this certifi-cation covers microalgae cultivation and algae oil production, as well as greenhouse gas emissions calculations and related management mechanisms. This enables algae oil development to advance beyond the technical level and align with international sustainability requirements. Going forward, the com-pany will focus on process scale-up, production efficiency improvements, and cost optimization, with the goal of advancing from pilot-scale production to demonstration-scale and commercial-scale validation.

President Stephen Liu of FSET said that for microalgae to achieve real-world application in the SAF industry, the key factors are oil production efficiency, process stability, and scalability. CH Algae Corp. has developed high-yield oil-producing microalgae strains and heterotrophic fermentation technology for large-scale production. Through proprietary cultivation conditions and indus-trial-scale modular design, the oil content of the algae can reach 50% to 60%. The company current 500-liter pilot production line has completed phased evaluations of production formulations and process stability. The resulting al-gae oil also meets the relevant feedstock specifications required for down-stream SAF refining. These results demonstrate that the technology has pro-gressed beyond the R&D stage, providing a practical foundation for its appli-cation in SAF production.

The international certification audit was conducted by Bureau Veritas (BV) as an independent third party. Pei-Shih Hsu, Vice President of BV, said that CH Algae Corp.’s successful achievement of ISCC EU certification proves its strong capability in algae oil technology development and sustainability man-agement. It also reflects FSET’s proactive efforts to advance the commerciali-zation of emerging bio-based feedstocks and align with international stand-ards.

Looking ahead, FSET will continue to leverage the resources and capabilities across the Formosa Plastics Group to scale up microalgae technology and ad-vance the commercialization of algae oil. By strengthening the connection be-tween technological development and market applications, the company aims to accelerate the commercial adoption of emerging bio-based feedstocks and provide the aviation industry with more diversified pathways toward net zero.