Brazil to become world’s largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel

Brazil will become the world’s largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the coming years if the country manages to align its regulations with those of the global model, industry experts said today.

According to the Brazilian Association of Aviation Companies (Abear), Brazil can become the world leader in producing plant-based PEF.

However, its use in Brazil still depends on public policies and environmental compensation schemes that follow internationally adopted models.

“We have defended adapting the Brazilian PBS market to international rules. The carbon credit market must be regulated, with targets for carbon sequestration, certification, quality, and, above all, safety,” said Jurema Monteiro, director of international relations at Abear.

“We have a variety of technological options and biomass, conditions that can make the country a pioneer and the largest producer of FFS in the world,” Monteiro said.

According to Abear, PBS currently accounts for 65 percent of global action to eliminate aviation carbon emissions by 2050, followed by offsets such as carbon sequestration at 19 percent, while 13 percent of activity could come from developing new technologies. Another 3 percent will come from changes in infrastructure and operations.

“We have to work on several fronts. The first of these is to optimize our air routes, and today we have made efforts in this direction to reduce distances,” said Infrastructure Minister Marcelo Sampaio.

Brazil still has an air traffic management model that does not optimize direct routes and the performance of each aircraft model, although a study is planned to use airspace better and reduce distances and flight times.