Macaúba, a plant native to the Brazilian Cerrado, is emerging as a revolutionary raw material for biofuels of aviation, with an investment of 2.5 billion dollars for its large-scale production in Brazil.
The energy company Acelen Renewables announced the million-dollar investment for the renewable aviation fuels project at the recent Conference of the United Nations about him Climate Change (COP28) from Dubai.
The objective, according to the company, is to create fuel of sustainable aviation and renewable diesel reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to those of fossil origin traditionally used for air transport.
The plan of Acelen Renewables, controlled by Mubadala Capital, the investment arm of the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund, includes the production of 1,000 million liters per year of renewable diesel for various derivatives and sustainable aviation fuel.
The macaubaa native Brazilian plant, but which is also present in neighboring countries, stands out for its high performance in production per hectare, its efficiency in the use of water and nutrients and its ability to be cultivated in diverse ecosystems.
Brazil thus seeks to become a world leader in renewable energy, taking advantage of its vast potential in solar and wind energy, as well as in the production of green hydrogen from resources such as ethanol and now with biofuel from macauba.
”This project is already a reality, in the advanced phase of engineering and studies to implement large-scale agriculture”, with production starting in the second half of 2026, Luiz de Mendonça, CEO of Acelen Renewables, highlighted at COP28.
A study carried out by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) business school predicts that a total of 17 billion dollars will circulate in the Brazilian economy until 2035, directly and indirectly, and 90,000 jobs will be generated from the project.
The production of the renewable fuel will initially be directed to the international market, where these products are already approved for marketing and consumption.
With a focus on the recovery of degraded lands, at least five agro-industrial centers will be established with macaúba cultivation in 200,000 hectares of forests in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, De Mendonça explained in statements to EFE.
The macauba It produces seven times more oil per hectare than soybeans and, unlike the latter, it can be grown in agroforestry and silvopastoral systems, which avoids competition between biofuel production and food production.
The project aims to use the macauba in its entirety, from the seed to the pulp, used in the production of food and cosmetics.
De Mendonça noted that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from macauba “it can totally replace fossil diesel” and the development from Brazil can contribute to cooperation with other countries.
”Acelen Renowables and its partners look forward to the possibility of expanding international cooperation and developing new partnerships between companies, universities and governments,” mainly with other Latin American countries, he concluded.
Source: Gestion
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