MDS churns gas-derived butter 

KUCHING: Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis (MDS) has succeeded in producing food-grade butter derived from its gas-to-liquid (GTL) Sarawax.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg praised Shell MDS for this initiative and highlighted the potential of GTL technology to revolutionise various sectors, including food production.

He also highlighted the significance of the breakthrough as Shell MDS is producing the world’s first butter synthesised from gas.

“Once you obtain international certification, it can significantly impact the food industry.

“As my minister said, we now have butter here, producing fat from gas. This means there are many new products and technologies that will sustain the industry based on gas as feedstock,” he said.

He was speaking at Shell MDS Malaysia’s 30^th anniversary celebration dinner and the global launch of Shell GTL Microcrystalline Waxes at Hilton Hotel here, yesterday (July 10).

Meanwhile, Shell Malaysia Country chair and senior vice president (Upstream Malaysia) Siti Sulaiman said her firm has engaged Gombi Patisserie, a Shell LiveWIRE recipient and home baker in Kuching to test the butter by baking cookies with it.

She added that Shell MDS will continue to collaborate with industry experts and startups to push the boundaries of GTL innovation, expanding into unconventional applications such as the food industry.

“For carbon footprint benefits, we have Savor from the United States, which successfully developed a recipe to produce butter entirely from GTL Sarawax.

“I believe this latest technology will be a breakthrough once it completes the necessary approval process by key regulators,” she added.