Be8, Cemvita team up for SAF production from glycerin

Brazilian biorefiner Be8 signed an agreement with US-based biotech solutions provider Cemvita to develop the conversion of glycerin (a byproduct of biodiesel production) into low-carbon feedstock to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“We are now establishing an important partnership aimed at developing a new low-carbon value chain using residual raw material for the production of SAF by converting crude glycerin from Be8’s operations into sustainable bio-oil using our technology,” explained Moji Karimi, CEO at Cemvita.
Glycerin is a byproduct of biodiesel production during the transesterification process at the time of converting vegetable oils or animal fats into biodiesel.
As part of the agreement between Be8 and Cemvita, a working group formed by professionals from both companies will conduct a detailed technical and economic feasibility study on the proposed bio-oil production process, including the details of a collaborative business model, and the investment estimates for a glycerin-to-SAF raw material conversion plant in Brazil.
“There is a growing demand from SAF produced from residual and circular feedstock and we are very excited to help the aviation industry deliver its long-term ambitious goals to reduce emissions with this innovative solution,” said Erasmo Carlos Battistella, president of Be8.
“It is a pleasure to establish this strategic collaboration with Cemvita, which contributes its expertise in industrial biotechnology, and synthetic biology within a Circular Bioeconomy model that will enable us to produce a very low carbon SAF,” said Battistella.
The studies will also include the usage of the sustainable bio-oil, obtained from the new partnership, as a feedstock in the Omega Green Project – a Paraguay-based bio-refinery project that will produce SAF, renewable diesel and green naphtha.