Biopower, a JBS () Novos Negócios company that produces biodiesel, has just announced an investment of R$ 140 million in modernization and technological innovation of its three plants, located in Lins (SP), Campo Verde (MT) and Mafra (SC).
The contribution, the most significant since the construction of the Mafra unit in 2021, prepares the company for a new cycle of growth and reinforces its strategic role in the national energy transition.
With the innovation, Biopower projects its production to reach a record volume of around 650 million liters in 2025, the company said in a statement.
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Among the investments is the implementation of enzymatic esterification technology, a modern process that replaces chemical catalysts with high-efficiency enzymes. This cleaner and more precise approach will allow for productivity gains, greater flexibility in the use of different raw materials, such as beef tallow and used cooking oil, and the conversion of by-products, which were previously sold separately, into more biodiesel. The project begins to be implemented this year and is scheduled for completion in mid-2026.
The increase in demand for biodiesel, driven by current legislation that foresees increasing the mixture to 20% (B20) by 2030, occurs at a time of historic growth in biofuels in Brazil. Currently, the mix is at 15%. It is in this expansion scenario that Biopower’s investment is positioned, preparing the company to capture new opportunities and contribute to the country’s goal of increasingly consolidating itself as a powerhouse in clean energy.
In 18 years of operation, the company has produced more than 4 billion liters of biodiesel, avoiding the emission of around 9 million tons of CO2.
The director of Biopower, Alexandre Pereira, said in the statement that the company is investing to further improve a product that is already recognized for excellence in the market and for the company to remain at the forefront of a sector that is expanding.
“This modernization will give us more efficiency and productive elasticity, guaranteeing our competitiveness to meet a demand for biodiesel that will certainly continue to grow”, he added.
The announcement comes at a special moment for the operation, as the Mafra unit recently reached the mark of 1 billion liters of biodiesel produced.
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Biopower is also advancing on new fronts that contribute to the decarbonization of maritime transport. The definition of global goals by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which seeks to achieve net-zero emissions in the sector by 2050, opens up space for sustainable fuels, and the company said it is prepared to meet this demand. According to Biopower, biodiesel presents itself as a viable and immediate alternative to traditional marine diesel, which can be used without the need for adaptation on vessels and with the same performance and competitive cost in relation to other technologies.
