Acelen SAF

pending

IFC is considering an loan of up to US$250mn to Acelen Industrial S.A (Acelen Industrial or the Company), a subsidiary of Acelen Energia Renovável S.A. (Acelen Renewables - https://www.acelenrenovaveis.com.br), to partially finance the development of a 20,000 barrels per day (20 kbpd) greenfield biorefinery in a brownfield industrial area in Mataripe, São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, Brazil (the Project). The biorefinery will produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Renewable Diesel (RD) using – Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) technology, with vegetable oils and used cooking oil (UCO) as feedstock. The production process will involve raw materials pretreatment to remove impurities, hydro-processing to convert fatty acids into hydrocarbons, selective cracking and isomerization to refine the hydrocarbons, and fractionation to recover and separate the desired products. Construction is expected to begin in 1Q 2026, and commercial operations are planned for 2Q 2029.The biorefinery will be built on a 59-hectare site previously owned by Mataripe Refinery (RefMat) and will use the maritime terminal Almirante Alves Câmara (TEMADRE), located 11km from the site, for receiving raw materials and shipping final products. Acelen Industrial will use one existing berth (Pier 3) for loading/unloading operations. No relevant changes or modifications to the Pier 3 area are expected other than investments aimed at adapting infrastructure for the Project, such as installing loading and unloading arms. Approximately 65 vessels will be used each year to transport raw materials and finished products, resulting in less than 2.5% increase in the maritime traffic of the Baía de Todos os Santos. The TEMADRE terminal will be connected to the biorefinery via two new pipelines of 11 km long and 18 inches in diameter (Pipelines), that will be constructed within an existing right-of-way operated by Transpetro, Brazil’s primary pipelines operator. The project will include additional associated infrastructure such as an 11 km long distribution line (D-line) that will be designed and operated by Companhia de Eletricidade do Estado da Bahia (Coelba), a gas pipeline operated by Companhia de Gás da Bahia (Bahiagás) and a water tie-in operated by Empresa Baiana de Águas e Saneamento S.A. (Embasa), all public utilities responsible for providing essential services in the State of Bahia (together with Pipeline, the Associated Facilities).Construction will follow an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) approach where an EPCM manager will oversee and coordinate the interfaces among the different technology and EPC packages. At the peak of construction around 3,600 contracted workers will be hired for construction activities, with the majority being hired locally whenever possible, and with accommodation provided off-site in nearby hotels and rental properties for workers coming from other regions. During operations and maintenance (O&M), Acelen Industrial will have a headcount of around 220 direct workers.The Project’s area of influence is predominantly industrial, located within the Mataripe Refinery complex in the Macrozona Industrial of São Francisco do Conde, characterized by consolidated activities of exploration, transformation, storage, and transportation of chemical products. The southern part of the Project land was used to dispose of construction and industrial waste. The nearest neighboring community is Socorro, a rural community located approximately 2 km away, while the broader area is characterized by a mix of urban and rural settings in the municipalities of São Francisco do Conde and Candeias, with varying access to public services such as education, health, sanitation, and transportation. The area designated for the implementation of the Project’s Associated Facilities partially overlaps the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of the Baía de Todos os Santos (Pipeline) and Joanes–Ipitanga (APA) (D-line).