Alfa Laval to deliver pre-treatment solution for groundbreaking € 2.7 billion Brazilian biorefinery project

Alfa Laval has been selected to deliver pre-treatment technology in a transformational Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) project, produced by hydrotreating vegetable oil (HVO) in Brazil.

The project integrates agricultural production, industrial development, and precision technology to produce advanced renewable fuels from both traditional feedstocks (such as soybean oil, tallow and used cooking oil, UCO) and macaúba, a native Brazilian crop with high potential in biofuel production.  

Based in the eastern state of Bahia, the project from Acelen Renewables involves cultivating 144,000 hectares of degraded land, incorporating productivity gains already achieved by the project, with 20% allocated to partnerships with family farming and small producers.  

This model seeks to combine productive regeneration, social inclusion, and decarbonization, aligned with global best practices in sustainability and low-carbon development.  

With its world-leading technology and expertise, Alfa Laval has been collaborating with Acelen Renewables for more than two years on concept development and has now signed a 102 million euro contract to supply the HVO pre-treatment section of the ground-breaking new facility. 

“This has been a true partnership approach which has really paid dividends and promises to help deliver a uniquely transformational project,” says Fabio Muniz Region President Latin America at Alfa Laval. “We have built a strong relationship with Acelen Renewables, and through our role as a trusted advisor we have worked together to understand their challenges and requirements and devised a flexible modular pre-treatment solution using our tried and tested technology.” 

The partnership with Acelen Renewables is a defining milestone for Latin America’s energy transition. By engineering and manufacturing these modular pre-treatment solutions locally in Brazil, Alfa Laval is actively driving industrial decarbonization and energy efficiency at scale.  

Alfa Laval will be supplying its industry-leading heat exchangers and separators, and engineered components, to deliver all stages of the pre-treatment operations, from the clarification section that takes solids out of the used cooking oils, to degumming and absorption units, and onwards into a wastewater treatment unit to further boost the sustainability and profitability of the process. 

The technology for processing macaúba oil has been tested in Alfa Laval’s laboratories in Denmark, and the equipment will be manufactured in Brazil in preassembled modules, before being transported to the Bahia facility to be constructed on-site. The contract includes the site assembly works. 

The biorefinery, expected to begin operations in 2029, will have the capacity to produce 1 billion litres per year of SAF as the main HVO product. The project will position Brazil among the world’s leading hubs for sustainable fuels for aviation and heavy transportation, strengthening the country’s energy security and contributing to a more resilient energy matrix amid global volatility and crises.  

"Our biorefinery has been designed to set a new benchmark for renewable fuel production by integrating agriculture, industrial technology, and sustainability. Alfa Laval brings world-class expertise and technology to a project with global ambitions that will help position Brazil among the world's leading producers of low-carbon fuels," said Luiz de Mendonça, CEO of Acelen Renewables. 

Acelen Renewables estimate that the project as a whole will create 85,000 direct and indirect jobs, and 35 billion euro will be generated into the economy. It will also promote social inclusion through the Valoriza Program, which is allocating the 20% of macaúba plantation land – around 28,800 hectares - for the partnerships with family farmers and small producers, stimulating local income generation and regional development. 

Macaúba is seen as a more sustainable option because it can produce seven times more oil per hectare than alternatives such as soybean, it is not competing with food demand, and it can be planted on degraded ground, where it can actually improve the quality of the land by making it more humid and reducing erosion.  

About Acelen Renewables 

Acelen Renewables is Mubadala Capital's renewable energy company, created to actively participate in the global energy transition. Independent from Acelen Refinery of Mataripe, the company is developing an integrated ecosystem for renewable fuel production in Brazil, combining agricultural innovation, industrial technology, and the decarbonization of mobility and aviation.  
www.acelenrenovaveis.com.br/about-us/ 

This is Alfa Laval  

Working closely with customers and partners worldwide, Alfa Laval challenges conventional thinking on engineering, quality, and innovation. Together driving the solutions of the future, inspiring progress towards a more resourceful, less wasteful world.  

Alfa Laval is set on creating positive impact in areas that society depends on, including energy, food, water, medicine, maritime transport and offshore operations. As a leading global provider of solutions in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling, the company collaborates closely with many industries to optimize efficiency, reduce emissions and increase yields.  

Alfa Laval was founded more than 140 years ago, has customers in over 100 countries, employs more than 23,500 people, and annual sales were 69.6 BSEK (6.6 BEUR) in 2025. The company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.  

www.alfalaval.com