Cowpower: JBS waste becomes sustainable aviation fuel
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), aviation-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions have increased by an average of 2.6% per year over the past 25 years, and the commercial aviation sector accounts for about 5% of the global climate burden. As such, SAF presents itself as a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, as it can reduce carbon emissions by up to 70% and can be used as a blend of up to 50% in the kerosene tank used in commercial aircraft.
For Jason Weller, global CSO at JBS, the initiative reinforces the company's commitment to responsible waste management and the promotion of the circular economy in its operations. "The aviation sector has historically been challenged in decarbonization, as it depends on fossil fuels. By reusing animal waste, we contribute to the environment and help this critical sector in its decarbonization process", he says.
In Brazil, Friboi has begun studies to test the feasibility of supplying animal waste for the production of aviation fuel. Biopower, also owned by JBS, is evaluating the feasibility of producing renewable fuel for ships, as an alternative to bunker oil, a fossil fuel predominantly used by maritime vessels.
Biopower is one of the largest Brazilian producers of biodiesel from organic waste from cattle processing – an alternative that emits 80% less carbon dioxide compared to fossil diesel. The company has three plants in operation, in the cities of Mafra (SC), Lins (SP) and Campo Verde (MT).
In 2023, JBS began a project to introduce the use of 100% biodiesel (B100) in its own fleet of trucks. A truck from the Dutch automaker DAF is already using B100 with the aim of proving the quality of biofuel as an important substitute for the sector. The truck has already exceeded 120 thousand km of use. The result showed that the vehicle fueled with 100% biodiesel (B100) had a performance equivalent to diesel and emitted up to 80% less carbon dioxide.
Tests with B100 in the truck fleet are in line with the expansion of biofuels in Brazil's transportation matrix. Since March 1, the increase in the percentage of biodiesel blended into diesel sold to end consumers has already been in practice. The biofuel index in diesel sold in the country has now reached 14%.
JBS was the first company in the country to obtain authorization from the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels to supply its fleet of trucks. Located in the industrial complex of Lins, in the interior of São Paulo, the biopoint, as it is called, has two pumps dedicated exclusively to B100 and has the capacity to offer 30 thousand liters of fuel.
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