Aug 24, 2023
Raizen has First Ethanol Certified for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The Brazilian company Raizen is the largest producer of ethanol derived from sugarcane and the first company to receive the ISCC Corsia Plus (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) certification to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) sanctioned by the International Airlines Transportation Association (IATA). They received the certification for their sugarcane facility in the city of Piracicaba, Sao Paulo.
With the certification, Raizen becomes the first company to supply ethanol for SAF production in Brazil and the world. The company is now positioned to be a leader in the aviation sector as it transitions to reduce carbon emissions.
The ISCC certification (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) is a global system that monitors biofuel production from the biomass production to the final consumption. The objective is producing sustainable biofuels that respects social, environmental, and economic standards. The goal of the CORSIA program from the International Civil Aviation Organization is to reduce CO2 emissions from the aviation sector.
Producing SAF from renewable and sustainable feedstock can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to petroleum aviation fuel according to a Raizen spokesperson.
Raizen estimates that the global demand for SAF could reach 20 million cubic meters by 2030. To meet the demand, Raizen is using a process called Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) that converts ethanol to SAF.
If 25% of the SAF uses the Alcohol-to-Jet technology, that would equate to 9 million cubic meters of additional ethanol production, which would represent less than 10% of the global ethanol production.