en.Wedoany.com Reported - Portuguese Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho revealed on July 16 that Portugal is seeking to attract Brazilian investors to build one to two advanced biofuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plants in the country.

Carvalho stated that she will discuss the project when meeting with her Brazilian counterpart in Brasília next week, with the target market being Portugal and Europe. The project aims to leverage Brazil's technical expertise in biofuels and Portugal's strategic position as a gateway to Europe to meet growing demand for low-carbon fuels.

Carvalho noted that the project has the support of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. She added that Brazil is Portugal's largest oil supplier, accounting for 44% of its imports. "Brazil has been a leader for many years, with significant technical expertise in advanced biofuels and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We want to provide conditions in Portugal to establish one to two plants producing these fuels," Carvalho told reporters. She said a joint venture is being considered to produce the fuels for the Portuguese and European markets.

Carvalho plans to visit Brazilian plants next week. Any potential investment in similar facilities in Portugal would be handled through the country's foreign investment agency, the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP). Portugal's advanced biofuel industry is still in its infancy, with Galp building a renewable fuel plant in Sines with an annual capacity of 270,000 tons, set to begin producing SAF and renewable diesel in 2026. Carvalho said Algeria is Portugal's second-largest oil supplier after Brazil, while Nigeria and the United States are the two main natural gas suppliers, meaning the country, though not dependent on the Gulf region, remains affected by global energy price fluctuations.