Renewable diesel as fossil fuel substitution in Malaysia: A review

Researchers worldwide are always in search of sustainable and clean energy to ensure the lowest environmental impact and continuous energy supply. The population increment, severe environmental pollution with the rapid depletion of fossil fuels, and the application of biodiesel as a fuel additive have urged the community to discover cleaner energy in substituting the current conventional fuels. The discovery of renewable diesel has brought new hopes to society in replacing fossil fuels. The processing of various feedstocks remains a challenge for utilizing sustainable feedstock compared to non-renewable feedstock. Although various routes are feasible to produce renewable diesel, the quality of the end product requires optimization to meet international standards such as ASTM and EN. In this review, the literature studies from both industrial reports and scholarly papers are included to perform a complete review via different perspectives, specifically from Malaysia. The current status of the potential feedstock to commercialize renewable diesel production in Malaysia is evaluated. Malaysia is a country blessed with an abundance of natural resources and can contribute its part to a greener environment by addressing the possible challenges faced in clean energy production. The potentiality of renewable diesel in substituting fossil fuels is convincing, but more investigation and studies are required to compromise the expensive cost and technology immaturity.