Brazil Will Be Top Global Producer Of SAF, Says Boeing

Boeing says Brazil could soon become one of the world’s leading producers of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

As the sector attempts to meet its ambitious goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Boeing organized a SAF forum in São Paulo, Brazil, on August 8. The forum coincided with an event run by the Swiss organization, Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB).

During the forum, Boeing’s President Latin America and Caribbean, Landon Loomis, emphasized Brazil’s potential contribution to aviation decarbonization, praising its technical capabilities, skilled workforce, and abundant raw materials.

Carolina Grassi, Manager of Public Policies and Innovations at RSB, highlighted Brazil’s opportunity to lead in SAF production using waste materials, potentially generating up to 9 billion liters annually.

As a significant agricultural producer globally, Brazil already leads in biofuel production from waste products, particularly from sugarcane-based ethanol and soybean oil-derived biodiesel.

Also at the event, Eduardo Calderon, Operations Control Center Director of GOL Airlines, a Brazilian low-cost carrier, stressed the urgency of improved SAF supply and lowering its cost. Calderon said SAF being three times the cost of conventional fuels meant there was little chance of the industry meeting its net zero emissions unless global SAF production was significantly and rapidly increased.