Brazil may become biofuels production powerhouse – study

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil is capable of producing 9 billion liters of aviation biofuels per year, more than enough to meet domestic demand, and thus significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the segment.

These are the findings of a study conducted by Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), in partnership with Agroicone consulting and professors from Unicamp and Unifei, to be presented at an international event starting on Monday in Brazil.

“Brazil has tremendous potential to be a major producer of aviation biofuel, but this depends on the country’s ability to harness residues from sugarcane bagasse and straw, the wood industry, used cooking oil, bovine tallow and gases from the steel industry,” said RSB, which is part of the project Fueling the Sustainable Bioeconomy, funded by Boeing Global Engagement.

The research, based on 3 combined production routes with the 5 raw materials mentioned, points out that aviation biofuels are capable of reducing CO2 emissions by between 60% and 85% compared to fossil “rivals”. “SAF [Sustainable Aviation Fuel], is the best alternative to meet global decarbonization agreements. The agricultural vocation and the legacy of ethanol allow Brazil to be a large or even the largest biofuel producer and exporter,” says Maria Carolina Grassi, leader of New Business in Latin America at RSB, in the note released.

According to Agroicone, sugarcane is the raw material with the greatest potential for waste availability.

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