“Macauba palm (Acrocomia aculeata) has unique characteristics. It is a Brazilian plant with high oil yield per hectare and highly competitive…”
Marcelo Cordaro is Chief Operating Officer of the energy company Acelen Renewables, with a degree in electrical and electronic engineering, a M.Sc. from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo and Ph.D. from Washington University.
Marcelo Cordaro, COO of Acelen Renewables
AgriBrasilis – Why will Acelen invest US$ 2.4 billion for the production of macauba biofuel?
Marcelo Cordaro – Macauba palm (Acrocomia aculeata) has unique characteristics. It is a Brazilian plant with high oil yield per hectare, which is highly competitive when compared to other crops, with excellent efficiency in the use of water and nutrients.
As a native perennial species, adapted to the most arid regions of Brazil, macauba palm provides a complete sustainable solution for the energy sector and other segments, with the conservation or even recovery of biodiversity, as degraded areas will be replaced by macauba forest systems. Its cultivation will be done using the best agricultural and environmental practices, favoring carbon capture and the reduction of CO2 emissions from seed to fuel.
AgriBrasilis – How will these resources be invested and what is the timeline for the investments?
Marcelo Cordaro – It is expected that, from 2026, one billion liters of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be produced per year, which will make the company one of the largest producers of biofuels in the world, all from high-energy agricultural crops. We will invest more than US$ 2.4 billion over the next ten years, in a project anchored in 3 main axes: agriculture integrated with the industry for the production of renewable fuels, generation of certified carbon credits after recovery of degraded lands and positive socio-environmental impact. Most of the investments will be in the production of macauba palm, a Brazilian plant with high energy potential, which produces up to seven times more oil than soybeans do.
The current moment of the project is the analysis and prospection of the locations for the implementation of the macauba planting hubs and their respective crushing units in the States of Bahia and Minas Gerais. CITA – Center of Innovation and Agroindustrial Technology, in the municipality of Montes Claros, State of Minas Gerais, is in the process of obtaining the installation license to start construction in the 1Q of 2024 and should produce seedlings later this year. For the construction of CITA, investments of US$ 25 million are planned.
AgriBrasilis – Can macauba palms be considered rustic plants? In which regions can they be grown and what is their economic potential?
Marcelo Cordaro – It is a non-domesticated plant that exists naturally in the environment, but its economic, social and sustainability potential was decisive for Acelen Renewables to foresee an investment of around US$ 1.6 billion in the verticalization of planting. We still do not have a definition of the locations or the number of facilities to be established in the State of Minas Gerais. The current moment of the project is the analysis and prospection of the sites for the implementation of the macauba palm planting hubs and their respective crushing units.
Our initial projection is the installation of at least five macauba agroindustry hubs, with viability for the north of the States of Minas Gerais and Bahia. Several factors are crucial for the definition of the locations, involving logistical, economic and strategic aspects for decision making.
AgriBrasilis – Is there already large-scale cultivation of macauba palms in Brazil?
Marcelo Cordaro – Macauba is a non-domesticated plant, which makes the Acelen Renewables project the first one of its king in the world. We will develop the plant from germination to oil production.
Germinated macauba palm seeds. (Source: Acelen Renewables)
AgriBrasilis – Acelen plans to plant 200,000 hectares of macauba and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). What exactly ensures the sustainability of this project?
Marcelo Cordaro – The project was designed to be fully sustainable, leveraging the sustainable characteristics of macauba palms, within a strategy for the recovery of degraded areas based on robust and transparent methodologies.
As a native perennial species, macauba offers a range of environmental services, such as the conservation or even recovery of biodiversity, as degraded areas will be replaced by macauba vegetation. With the planting of macauba palms, the vegetation cover will be maintained, conserving the soil and its biodiversity. This will contribute to the recovery of water sources and provide a source of food for birds and other native animals. The cultivation of macauba will follow the best agricultural and environmental practices, promoting carbon capture and reducing CO2 emissions throughout the entire process, from seed to fuel production.
The cultivation of oil palm and macauba produces fuel and other co-products such as food, feed, energy and fibers. It is a product classified as zero waste. This makes its production very advantageous: the nut shell can generate energy while the pulp can be used to produce a bran, very rich in protein, which is used for human and animal food.
AgriBrasilis – How to compete with groups like Raízen, BBF and Vibra?
Marcelo Cordaro – Our execution strategy, associated with the development of macauba, is a pioneering and innovative initiative adhering to the growing demands for sustainable solutions for the decarbonization of transport in local and international markets. Through a qualified team, robust partners, and a robust investor base, we will offer, from 2026, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel produced from renewable raw materials to meet the decarbonization demands of sectors such as aviation.
Acelen has opened a commercial office in Houston, USA, with a focus on approaching the US biofuels market. The company aims to reach the global oil and gas market, betting on the opportunities of the world’s largest oil center and the readiness of global markets to receive renewable fuels.
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