Be8 becomes 1st company in South America certified by CARB to supply biodiesel to California

The Port of Açu in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from which Be8’s biodiesel is exported to California. (Photo: Be8)

Brazilian biodiesel producer Be8 announced in April that it has just received certification from the California Air Resources Board for its biodiesel production pathway based on animal fats.

According to Be8, its biodiesel facility in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is the first in South America to be authorized by CARB for exporting biodiesel made via this production route.

“This is without a doubt another historic achievement for Be8, as CARB is California’s air-quality control agency responsible for enforcing extremely strict environmental regulations—recognized as some of the most stringent in the world,” said Erasmo Carlos Battistella, the president of Be8.

“It took many years of dedicated work, especially from our certifications team, to achieve this international milestone,” Battistella added.

“I thank our team for the effort, which places Be8 in a unique position in the market,” he said.

Ricardo Reckziegel, Be8’s commercial director, said, “This achievement opens the doors to the California market, one of the most strategic and demanding in the sector. It provides Be8 with greater flexibility in product allocation, reduces domestic dependency, and enables access to markets with different profitability profiles.”

After becoming a pioneer in trade with the European Union in 2013, Be8 made the first-ever Brazilian export of biodiesel to the United States in 2023 through certification by the U.S. EPA.

With CARB certification, the company is now expanding its operations to California.

“We’re proud of our pioneering international strategy and the confirmation of our production quality through certification by U.S. agencies,” Battistella said.

Be8 is part of the ECB Group holding and was founded in 2005.

Headquartered in Passo Fundo, the company also has offices in São Paulo and Cuiabá, Brazil; Geneva, Switzerland; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The company has production facilities in Brazil in Passo Fundo, Marialva, Nova Marilândia, Floriano, and Santo Antônio do Tauá; as well as in La Paloma, Paraguay; and Domdidier, Switzerland.