IPT and USEK sign MoU and inaugurate Lebanon’s first research station for biodiesel production

In a major step toward Lebanon’s clean energy transition, the IPT Energy Center (IPTEC) and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand their partnership in renewable energy research, sustainability, and education. The signing was followed by the inauguration of the Experimental Research Station for Biodiesel Production at USEK, the first academic-industry facility in Lebanon capable of transforming used cooking oil into biodiesel.
This achievement is more than a technological milestone. It’s a demonstration of how innovation can turn waste into energy, and how collaboration between universities and the private sector can convert academic research into real, scalable solutions. The ceremony gathered Professor Nehme Azoury, Senior Advisor to the University President Father Professor Joseph Makhoul, and Dr. Toni M. Issa, President of IPTEC and Executive Chairman of Issa Group, along with USEK faculty, students, and IPT representatives.
Building on a collaboration that began in 2018, this new phase turns what started as a pilot project into a national platform for applied research, empowering students and engineers to explore renewable fuels, resource recovery, and circular economy models. In his remarks, Dr. Toni M. Issa reaffirmed IPT’s forward-looking strategy: “At IPT, we’ve always believed that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. Transforming used cooking oil into biodiesel is proof that when knowledge meets purpose, waste becomes energy, and challenges become opportunities.”
This initiative reflects IPT’s long-standing commitment to sustainability, as the first energy company in Lebanon to publish a Carbon Footprint Measurement Report and an Annual Sustainability Report, a commitment that continues to guide its investments in R&D, clean technologies, and academic collaboration for Lebanon’s low-carbon future.