Petrobras () made this Friday (5) the first delivery of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A volume of 3 thousand m³ was delivered to distributors operating at Tom Jobim International Airport (Galeão-RJ), which corresponds to approximately one day of consumption at the state’s airports.
The company is the first to produce, entirely in Brazil, the fuel that receives sustainability certification in accordance with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) rules.
Sustainable aviation fuel, also known as SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), can replace conventional aviation kerosene (QAV) without the need for modifications to aircraft or fueling infrastructure. Therefore, it is considered a practical and quick solution to reduce emissions from the airline sector.
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In a statement, the president of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard, confirmed that the SAF produced by co-processing at the Petrobras refining park is a solution that contributes to meeting the decarbonization goals of the airline sector.
“It is a competitive product, which meets rigorous international aviation standards. We are offering the national market the possibility of meeting global demands, anticipating compliance with CORSIA, which is an international program to reduce emissions from international flights”, he said.
According to Petrobras, bringing forward SAF production in relation to current legislation is essential for the aviation market, considering the sector’s future requirements. From 2027 onwards, airlines in Brazil must start using this type of fuel on international flights, following the rules of the ICAO CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) program. And also on domestic flights, based on the Future Fuel Law.
SAF is a fuel with lower carbon intensity because it uses a percentage of raw material of vegetable origin, which is processed together with mineral aviation kerosene.
Petrobras is currently certified to use technical corn oil (TCO), a residual raw material, or soybean oil, with an expected reduction in net CO2 emissions of up to 87% in the renewable portion. The product obtained is chemically identical to mineral fuel, but with a portion derived from sustainable raw materials.
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The fuel for the first deliveries was produced at the Duque de Caxias Refinery (Reduc), in Rio de Janeiro, certified to produce and sell SAF. Reduc has authorization from the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP) to incorporate up to 1.2% of renewable raw material in the production of SAF through this route.
The company also informed that the Henrique Lage Refinery (Revap), in São José dos Campos (SP), has already carried out tests for the production of SAF through the vegetable oil co-processing route with traditional oil streams.
The forecast is that, still in 2026, the Paulínia Refinery (Replan), in the state of São Paulo, and the Gabriel Passos Refinery (Regap), in Minas Gerais, will also start producing and selling the fuel.
