Bunge to supply soybean oil for Brazil’s largest renewable fuels project

Global agribusiness company Bunge has signed a five-year agreement with Acelen Renewables to supply 300,000 tons of certified soybean oil annually for a new biorefinery in Brazil’s Bahia state. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2029 and will become South America’s first large-scale producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (HVO).

According to Acelen Renewables, the agreement is a key step toward securing a reliable feedstock supply chain for the future biorefinery. The company aims to ensure long-term access to certified raw materials needed for large-scale renewable fuel production, strengthening Brazil’s position in the global low-carbon fuels market.

The biorefinery will be built at an existing industrial site in São Francisco do Conde on Brazil’s Atlantic coast. Its first production unit will have the capacity to produce 1 billion litres of SAF and HVO per year, making it one of the largest renewable fuel facilities in the region.

In addition to soybean oil, the plant will use used cooking oil (UCO) and macaúba oil, derived from a native Brazilian palm, as feedstocks. Production will be based on HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) technology, one of the world’s most widely used processes for manufacturing sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel.

Acelen Renewables is owned by Mubadala Capital, an investment company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The project is expected to boost demand for certified soybean oil in Brazil while supporting the country’s agricultural sector and the expansion of renewable fuel production.

Tags: Bunge, soybean oil, Brazil, biofuel