Acelen Renewables, a green energy enterprise backed by Mubadala Capital, has successfully closed a total financing package valued at 1.5 billion dollars. This capital injection will fund the construction of a large-scale sustainable aviation fuel facility in the state of Bahia, Brazil.
The upcoming biorefinery is scheduled to begin its commercial operations in 2029 and will leverage hydro-processed esters and fatty acids, or HEFA, technology. Once fully optimized, the industrial site is expected to process roughly 20,000 barrels per day to output an annual capacity of one billion liters of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), which serves as a renewable form of diesel.
The sustainability initiative will cultivate roughly 144,000 hectares of previously degraded lands to generate its necessary raw materials, utilizing a combination of traditional soy and used cooking oils alongside native macaúba palm trees. Additionally, one-fifth of this agricultural footprint will involve partnerships with small-scale family farming operations to ensure local social inclusion.
SAF is a biofuel used to power aircraft that has similar properties to conventional jet fuel, but with a smaller carbon footprint. SAF, which is made from renewable biomass and waste-based feedstocks, can be used in all existing turbine aircraft, and reduces aviation lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by as much as 80%.
