Muscat – Oman’s ambitions to become a leader in the global green energy transition have received a major boost following a new partnership between UK-based biotechnology innovator HutanBio and the sultanate’s first commercial biofuel company, Wakud, which is majority-owned by Utopia World Investments.

HutanBio and Utopia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to scale up HutanBio’s algae-based fuel technology, a move expected to strengthen Oman’s position in the global drive for sustainable energy solutions.

In a press release, John Jones, Chief Operating Officer of Utopia World BioEnergy, said, “By partnering with HutanBio, Utopia World is proactively building a pipeline of ultra-low-carbon feedstocks for 2027 and beyond, ensuring continuity, scalability and integrity in future fuel production.”

The partnership aims to address one of the biggest challenges in the fight against climate change – producing sustainable aviation and maritime fuels at a commercial scale.

HutanBio’s technology uses a highly productive strain of microalgae to create ‘green crude’, which could eventually compete with the cost of conventional oil, making it a potential breakthrough for the aviation and heavy industrial sectors.

The technology was developed following a decade of intensive research led by Dr John Archer, who bred the algae strain to be highly salt-resistant. The system has already been tested successfully in pilot operations in Malaysia.

Under the leadership of HutanBio CEO Manshu Agarwal – a climate technology specialist with more than two decades of experience in scaling algae-based ventures and a former technology adviser to OQ – the company is now looking to Oman’s coastal desert regions to expand the project to a global commercial scale.

By using seawater and non-arable land, the project avoids competition with food crops and freshwater resources. The initiative has already attracted interest from senior energy executives and government officials, reflecting growing confidence in Oman’s potential to become a global hub for algae-based biofuel production.

As global efforts to decarbonise accelerate, the HutanBio-Utopia partnership marks a significant step forward. By combining scientific expertise from Cambridge with Oman’s industrial capabilities and natural advantages, the venture aims to transform the sultanate into a leading centre for next-generation clean energy solutions.