As Brazil’s second-largest ethanol producer, Mato Grosso is emerging as a strategic region in the production chain of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Made from renewable raw materials such as oils, vegetable fats, or ethanol, SAF is an alternative to reduce emissions in civil aviation — one of the sectors that consumes the most kerosene and emits the most CO₂.
To help limit global warming to 1.5°C, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) created the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) in 2016. This program establishes measures to cut emissions in the sector, including the introduction of sustainable fuels.
Guiseppe Lobo, executive director of the Bioenergy Industries of Mato Grosso (Bioind-MT), highlights that some plants in the state are already preparing to meet the growing national and global demand for SAF. “While there is no immediate demand, the plants are investing in supply chain traceability, measuring and reducing the carbon footprint of our ethanol, and adopting the criteria established by CORSIA and ISCC,” he explains.
Among them is FS, the world’s first ethanol producer to receive the ISCC CORSIA Low LUC Risk international certification, which confirms its ability to supply raw materials for SAF without indirect land-use impact. “This certification validates Brazil’s second-crop corn ethanol as a low-carbon feedstock for biofuels in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as aviation,” says FS CEO Rafael Abud. “Airlines will be able to rely on our ethanol as a competitive and scalable source for this global market.”