Big oil sees Brazil becoming major global hub for clean jet fuel

A global push to decarbonize air travel has groups from Big Oil to sovereign wealth funds betting on Brazil to become a top global center for green jet fuel. Brazil is becoming a magnet for investment as countries race to grab a share of what promises to be a fast-growing market, with Shell Plc and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co. considering new sustainable aviation fuel plants in the country. That’s in part because Latin America’s biggest economy is the world’s second-largest producer of ethanol, which can be used to produce SAF. Agriculture powerhouse Brazil has an abundance of cheap crops to make biofuels, providing the nation a leg up on competitors including the US. Many of Brazil’s supplies also rank better in terms of carbon emissions, key to meeting requirements for SAF production. “Brazil is in a very privileged position to be the world’s SAF hub,” said Bruno Serapião, CEO of sugar cane group Atvos Agroindustrial SA. The Mubadala-backed company is currently considering investing in an SAF unit that will use the alcohol-to-jet technology, converting ethanol into aviation fuel. <br/>