en.Wedoany.com Reported - Alfa Laval has secured a contract worth €102 million to provide hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) pretreatment technology for a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in Brazil. The contract includes on-site assembly work.
The project, implemented by Acelen Renewables, is located in the state of Bahia in eastern Brazil and plans to develop 144,000 hectares of degraded land. It will utilize traditional feedstocks such as soybean oil, beef tallow, and used cooking oil (UCO), as well as the Brazilian native oil palm crop macaúba, to produce advanced renewable fuels. Macaúba has significant potential in the biofuel sector. The project aims to integrate productive regeneration, social inclusion, and decarbonization.
Alfa Laval and Acelen Renewables have been collaborating for over two years during the concept development phase. Alfa Laval will provide a modular solution for the HVO pretreatment section of the biorefinery, including heat exchangers, separators, and engineering components. These units will cover all stages of pretreatment operations, from clarification and solid removal of used cooking oil to degumming and absorption units, as well as wastewater treatment units, to enhance the process's sustainability and profitability. The technology for processing macaúba oil has been tested at Alfa Laval's laboratory in Denmark, and the equipment will be manufactured in Brazil as pre-assembled modules before being shipped to Bahia for on-site installation. Fabio Muniz, President of Alfa Laval Latin America, stated: "This is truly a collaborative approach that has already yielded substantial returns and is expected to help deliver a unique, transformative project. We have built a strong relationship with Acelen Renewables, and by acting as a trusted advisor, we have jointly understood their challenges and needs, designing a flexible modular pretreatment solution using our proven technologies."
The biorefinery is expected to commence operations in 2029, with the capacity to produce 1 billion liters of SAF annually as the primary HVO product. The overall project is projected to create 85,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute €35 billion to the local economy. The project also plans to promote social inclusion through the Valoriza program, which allocates 20% of the land for macaúba cultivation (approximately 28,800 hectares) for collaboration with family farmers and small producers. Luiz de Mendonça, CEO of Acelen Renewables, stated: "Our biorefinery aims to set a new benchmark for renewable fuel production by integrating agriculture, industrial technology, and sustainability. Alfa Laval brings world-class expertise and technology to this globally ambitious project, which will help position Brazil as one of the world's leading producers of low-carbon fuels."
Macaúba is considered more sustainable, with oil yields per hectare seven times higher than soybeans, and it does not compete with food demand. Additionally, it can be cultivated on degraded land, helping to improve soil quality.
