Petrobras has delivered its first shipment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Tom Jobim International Airport (Galeao), in Rio de Janeiro, after becoming the first to fully produce the fuel in the country.
The oil company sold 3,000 cubic meters of SAF with distributors working at the airport, equivalent to one day’s consumption at Rio de Janeiro state airports, the company reported on Friday (5).
The announcement comes after Vibra Energia (formerly BR Distribuidora) announced in November that it had begun offering two daily flights departing from Salvador with imported SAF aircraft, turning the Bahian capital’s airport into the first in Brazil to use sustainable aviation fuel in commercial operations.
In a statement on Friday, Petrobras President Magda Chamberriard stressed that the oil company’s initiative seeks to anticipate compliance with global and local rules that come into force in 2027, when airlines in Brazil will be required to use this type of fuel.
The SAF for the first batches was produced through co-processing at Reduc (Duque de Caxias Refinery) in Rio de Janeiro, and is certified to produce and sell the fuel. The unit has been licensed by regulator ANP to incorporate up to 1.2% renewable feedstock into SAF production via this route.
Petrobras said it is certified to use technical corn oil (TCO), a residual feedstock, or soybean oil, with an expected reduction in net CO2 emissions of up to 87% in the renewable segment. The obtained product, according to the company, is chemically identical to mineral fuel, but with a portion derived from sustainable raw materials.
Revap (Henrique Laje Refinery), in São José dos Campos (SP), has already conducted tests to produce SAF through the co-processing route of vegetable oils with conventional oil streams.
Furthermore, forecasts indicate that in 2026, Riblan (Paolinha Refinery), in São Paulo State, and Rigape (Gabriel Passos Refinery), in Minas Gerais, will begin producing and selling fuel.