Be8 and Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil sign agreement for SAF development in Europe

Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil and Be8, a leading Brazilian biodiesel producer, have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) for the distribution of SAF in Europe.
The partnership includes the evaluation of two business models: the supply of SAF from Be8’s Omega Green unit, currently under development in Paraguay, to Northern Europe, and the joint development of aviation fuel downstream infrastructure in that region to deliver a complete solution to the final customer.
Europe has set ambitious targets for SAF adoption in the jet fuel mix. The mandate began in January this year at 2% and is set to increase to 6% by 2030. The new value chain to be built jointly by the two companies is expected to begin in 2029, coinciding with the start of operations at Be8’s new biorefinery — perfect timing to meet the anticipated increase in the European mandate.
“Scaling SAF is both a challenge and a global opportunity that will require entrepreneurship, long-term vision, and the right partners and our company has a background in building new biofuel markets through strategic partnerships,” said Erasmo Carlos Battistella, President of Be8. “An essential part of building a new value chain with SAF is understanding the logistical challenges involved, and this partnership will allow us to design a comprehensive solution.”
“This partnership with Sumitomo brings together companies with complementary expertise to create a new value chain. Our projections indicate a production cost in the first quartile of the global SAF cost curve, with access to competitive feedstock, efficient logistics, low taxes, and competitively priced renewable electricity,” he concluded.
Takamasa Ueda, Senior Director and Head of Energy Innovation Initiative, Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil, said: “Given the scale of the agriculture industry in South America region, there are great potentials to expand the SAF supply to support the increasing global SAF demand.
“We wish to contribute such SAF supply development in South America with utilising our global networks and expertise. Be8 has great feedstock network and existing biofuel production capabilities. We strongly believe Be8 and Sumitomo can jointly unlock the further business opportunities in Biofuel sector globally.”