The Mercantile & Maritime Energy Pte. Ltd. (MENA), part of the Dubai-headquartered Mercantile & Maritime Group, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Cooperatives of the Republic of Indonesia (KEMENKOP) and the Indonesian Cooperatives Council (DEKOPIN) on a “Synergy of Investment and Partnership for the Development of a Used Cooking Oil Ecosystem through Cooperatives in Indonesia.”
The agreement designates cooperatives as the key players in collecting and developing Indonesia’s UCO value chain and establishes a long-term collaboration between them and one of the UAE’s most active private-sector energy groups.
This partnership also supports the UAE’s wider renewable-fuels ecosystem, as MENA Biofuels, a subsidiary of the Mercantile & Maritime Group is currently developing the UAE’s first commercial SAF production facility in Fujairah. Sustainable feedstock collaborations like this play an essential role in advancing the UAE’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap 2030 and its Net Zero 2050 goals.
Murtaza Lakhani, CEO and Founder of Mercantile & Maritime Group, stated, “Signing this MoU is an important first step. Going forward, MENA will continue to invest in cooperatives and in sectors that have long been overlooked by investors, including the development of the used cooking oil ecosystem. Our focus is not only on deploying capital, but on building real, transparent, and inclusive value chains together with local partners across Indonesia.”
Ferry Joko Yuliantono, Minister of Cooperatives of the Republic of Indonesia, said, “Through this cooperation, cooperatives are being encouraged to move up the value chain and become part of a modern, digitalised supply chain that is connected to global markets. The government will ensure the necessary policies and facilitation so that cooperatives can grow in a healthy manner, while at the same time delivering economic and environmental benefits to the community.”
Bambang Haryadi, Chairman of the Indonesian Cooperatives Council (DEKOPIN), stated, “Through this partnership, DEKOPIN will play a role in mapping cooperatives that are ready to be involved, so that cooperative members can gain better access to financing, mentoring, and more secure offtake arrangements.”
(Inputs from WAM)
