Acelen Renewables achieves 1st industrial-scale continuous-flow extraction of macaúba oil

Macaúba palm tree. (Photo: Acelen Renewables)

Acelen Renewables announced in February the first continuous-flow extraction of macaúba oil on an industrial scale.

The milestone was achieved at the Acelen Agripark in Montes Claros in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The company announced construction was underway on the agripark in October.

This achievement, which Acelen Renewables said is unprecedented outside of laboratories, “establishes Brazil’s position at the forefront of renewable fuels and reinforces Acelen’s commitment to innovation and sustainability,” the company stated.

Acelen said it is investing around USD$3 billion in its first integrated unit for the production of approximately 264 million gallons of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per year at its Mataripe Refinery in Bahia, Brazil.

The project has licensed the Ecofining™ process technology from Honeywell, which was developed in collaboration with Italian oil company Eni.

In the first phase of the project, soybean oil and other feedstocks will be used, the company announced in April 2023.

In the second phase, oil from macaúba will be used.

The company said macaúba’s productivity is seven to 10 times higher than that of soybean per hectare planted.

The crop, according to Acelen Renewables, is “emerging as a key player in the production of biofuels and driving the global energy transition.”

In July, Acelen Renewables began domestication of macaúba in Brazil for renewable diesel and SAF feedstock.  

The company said the Acelen Agripark—an agro-industrial technological-innovation center focused on high productivity and agronomic efficiency—will be key to the development of macaúba.

Acelen Renewables stated that it is committed to transforming degraded land into macaúba plantations to produce renewable fuels.