Topsoe to provide technology for one of Brazil’s first commercial scale sustainable aviation fuel production plants

• Refinaria Riograndense, based in Rio Grande, Brazil, aims to produce 16,000 barrels per day of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• Topsoe will deliver its HydroFlex™ and H2bridge™ technologies, enabling SAF and renewable diesel production from soybean oil and tallow feedstocks.
• When Refinaria Riograndense’s plant is in full operation, Topsoe’s technology will expectedly enable an annual emission avoidance of more than 1.2 million tonnes of CO2e – the equivalent of avoiding the emissions from more than 240.000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for a year.
• The plant is expected to be operational in first half of 2028.

Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, has signed an agreement with Refinaria de Petróleo Riograndense SA (Riograndense), to provide its HydroFlex™ and H2bridge™ technologies for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel production at Riograndense’s Rio Grande renewable fuels plant in Brazil.

The production addresses the rapidly growing demand for SAF. As cited by the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Scenario, over 10% of fuel consumption in aviation needs to be SAF by 2030¹ to stay on course for net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. In 2023, the International Air Transport Association estimated global SAF production to make up only around 0.2% of total jet fuel demand².

Elena Scaltritti, Chief Commercial Officer at Topsoe, said:
“With Brazil setting ambitious airline emissions reduction targets in October this year, Riograndense is one of the country’s early movers to ensure SAF supply is available for airline operators on-time. We look forward to partnering with Riograndense to grow the supply of renewable fuels in Brazil.”

 Felipe Jorge, Managing Director at Riograndense, said:
“We believe Topsoe is the right partner for Riograndense to progress towards the total conversion to a biorefinery, which will allow us to become a reference in the SAF production in Brazil. “

The agreement with Riograndense follows a number of wins announced by Topsoe for the roll-out of its HydroFlex™ technology, including HOLBORN’s Hamburg renewable fuels refinery, Braya Renewable Fuels’ Come By Chance plant in Canada, Cepsa Bioenergia San Roque’s Palos de la Frontera plant in Spain, and Guangxi Hongkun Biomass in China.

About HydroFlex™ and H2bridge™
With HydroFlex™, customers can convert various fats, oils and greases into drop-in renewable jet and diesel that meet all globally accepted specifications for these fuels. Topsoe’s HydroFlex™ can be deployed in both grassroots units and revamps for co-processing or fully renewable applications.

The H2bridge™ technology replaces external fossil feedstocks for production of hydrogen by processing the waste propane and off gases from the HydroFlex™ process and converting it into green hydrogen that is then consumed in the same process (i.e. HydroFlex™). This patented process integration provides the customers with improved carbon intensity score.

About Riograndense
The history of oil refining in Brazil began in the city of Rio Grande. The Riograndense Oil Refinery, which began working in 1937, is now owned by Petrobras, Braskem and Ultrapar.

The company’s main operations are currently the processing and sale of petroleum derivatives, particularly gasoline, diesel oil, petrochemical naphtha, fuel oil, LPG (domestic gas) and other products. Its market is concentrated in the south of Brazil, particularly the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The refinery has an installed processing capacity of 17 thousand barrels a day.

About Topsoe
Topsoe is a leading global provider of technology and solutions for the energy transition. We combat climate change by helping our customers and partners achieve their decarbonization and emission reduction goals.  

Based on decades of scientific research and innovation, we offer world-leading solutions for transforming renewable resources into fuels and chemicals for a sustainable world, and for efficient and low-carbon fuel production and clean air. 

We were founded in 1940 and are headquartered in Denmark, with over 2,800 employees serving customers all around the globe. To learn more, visit www.topsoe.com.   

For more information, please contact: 
Ulrik Frøhlke, Media Relations Manager
Phone: +45 27 77 99 68 
Mail: ulfr@topsoe.com