Grupo BBF (Brasil BioFuels), a 100% Brazilian company, operates in sustainable agribusiness from palm cultivation, biotechnology, biofuel production and renewable energy generation for isolated locations in the Amazon. Committed to its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) agenda, the company has recently expanded its process of making economic use of industrial by-products on a large scale, transforming natural waste from the palm oil extraction process into organic compost for use in its agricultural areas.
The composting process began in a pilot phase at the Moju Pole and, this month, it will be implemented on a larger scale at the Acará Pole, allowing for a reduction in the volume of effluents sent directly to the field - the fertigation process - as well as better disposal of organic waste in the company's palm-growing areas. Composting is a technique widely used in various agro-industrial systems, maximizing the carbon footprint by reducing the use of petrochemical fertilizers (nitrogen) and other nutrients that are extracted with high fossil energy consumption. The aim of Grupo BBF is to strengthen the concept of carbon neutrality in its operations over the next few years.
The area installed for the composting process at the Acará Pole is 25,930m2 with the capacity to process up to 90,000 tons of organic compost annually, enough to fertilize up to 3,000 hectares of palm and replace more than 1,800 tons of fossil-based fertilizers with organic ones.
According to Fabio Pacheco, director of Grupo BBF, the new composting operation uses the "empty fruit bunches" and water from the industrial process, bringing even more environmental and operational gains, as well as reducing the company's agricultural costs. "Composting is the process of making use of nutrients from industrial activity, through the production of organic compost, which is used to replace mineral nutrients widely used in agriculture. " The executive emphasizes that the process is being expanded to the Acará Pole due to the advanced stage of the operation initially carried out at the Moju Pole. The use of organic compost helps to replace fossil-based fertilizers, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.
The company also has 4 production centers in Pará and generates more than 5,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs, making it one of the largest employers in the state. With continuous investment in improvements to the communities around its operations, Grupo BBF proves that it is possible to combine environmental preservation, socio-economic development and income generation for communities living in isolated locations in the Amazon.
About Grupo BBF
Grupo BBF (Brasil BioFuels), develops sustainable solutions for generating renewable energy in isolated systems, with thermoelectric plants powered by biofuels produced in the region. Its agricultural activity recovers areas that were degraded until 2007 in the Amazon, following the Oil Palm Agroecological Zoning (ZAE), approved by Decree 7.172 of the Federal Government, of May 7, 2010.
Grupo BBF has created an integrated business model in which it operates from the beginning to the end of the value chain - from sustainable oil palm cultivation, crude oil extraction, biofuel production, biotechnology and renewable energy generation - with assets totaling around R$2.2 billion and activities generating more than 6,000 direct jobs in the northern region of Brazil. Grupo BBF 's operations are located in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia, Roraima and Pará, comprising 38 thermoelectric plants (25 in operation and 13 under implementation), 3 palm oil crushing units, a soybean extruder and a biodiesel industry.
The company is expanding its supply of biofuels and has signed partnerships to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Green Diesel. The new sustainable fuels will be produced from 2026 at the country's first Biorefinery, which is currently under construction in the Manaus Free Trade Zone.
Original article in Folha Vitoria
