HutanBio speeds journey to $200bn biofuel market
The maiden site is expected to be Morocco followed by Western Australia and the Middle East; this first site will be 3-5 hectares in size and move HutanBio from producing litres of oil to tonnes and from where the company is able to undertake large-scale partner testing.
The Morocco venture will fully demonstrate the commercial architecture, automation and output – the blueprint for rapid rollout.
As a key play in the broader venture, the company has promoted former Business Development Director Brittany Hook to Chief Commercial Officer to accelerate net-negative biofuel deployment and consolidate HutanBio's destiny in becoming a key player in a massive market.
Hook will now lead global commercial strategy as the company advances towards its first production facility in 2026; that move in itself creates a template for rapid replication across coastal desert regions worldwide.
"We're moving from validation to deployment," said Hook. "Our technology is proven, partnerships are advancing, and the market is ready. My focus is securing commercial agreements that deliver immediate carbon savings while laying the foundation for rapid global scale-up."
Hook has 13 years' experience in energy transition, combining chemical engineering expertise with technical sales and project management across the downstream energy sector. Since joining HutanBio, she has played a pivotal role in developing strategic partnerships and establishing the commercial framework for market entry.
Her promotion follows a critical milestone – independent ISO-compliant life cycle assessment confirming HutanBio's HBx microalgal biofuel achieves net-negative carbon emissions during production - meaning it removes more CO2 than it emits. This validation positions HutanBio as a practical, commercially viable, sustainable fuel solution for shipping, aviation, and heavy transport operators facing urgent decarbonisation mandates.
Paul Beastall, HutanBio CEO, says: “Brittany has built the commercial approach that allows us to move at pace. Her ability to turn technical innovation into market opportunity has been central to our journey from lab to deployment, and this promotion recognises her impact.”
HutanBio’s model - high-yield biofuel production on desert land using seawater - provides a pathway to expanding clean energy supply without competing for food or freshwater resources. By pairing scalable economics with a net-negative carbon footprint, the company is emerging as a next-generation fuel provider for hard-to-abate industries.
A single square kilometre of cultivation can produce around 4,500 tonnes of bio-oil annually while removing 25,000 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.
Brittany Hook's promotion to this particular position also speaks to a critical industry challenge: taking breakthrough clean technologies from the lab to global deployment. With the biofuels market projected to nearly double to $200 billion by 2030, HutanBio is uniquely positioned to scale capacity while avoiding the constraints facing may other biofuel technologies (water use, agricultural land, or food-based feedstocks).
Beyond her commercial leadership, Hook is a champion for diversity in STEM and clean energy, reflecting HutanBio’s commitment to inclusive, forward-looking leadership.
The company's proprietary marine microalgae strain, discovered and optimised by founders John Archer, Noor Azlin Mokhtar and Suhaiza Jamhor, delivers 10x yield improvements over previous algae and oil crops. HutanBio's automated energy platform operates on seawater in desert environments, using CO2 and sunlight to produce sustainable low carbon fuels for marine, aviation, and heavy land transport.
Founded in 2019, the company was shortlisted in September's 35th Anniversary Business Weekly Awards – not just as a potential Sustainability champion but also in other tech and, specifically, engineering categories.