BP could develop at least nine biomethane projects in Brazil, according to BP Brazil President Andres Guevara de la Vega, who made the statement on Thursday, reported Argus.
As per the news report, While specific details such as project capacities, locations, and timelines were not disclosed, de la Vega indicated that the projects would likely utilize feedstock from BP’s current ethanol operations in the country.
Biofuels, including biomethane, are a significant part of BP’s strategic focus in Brazil, alongside its offshore pre-salt oil assets, de la Vega shared during an event in Rio de Janeiro hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Brazil.
BP strengthened its position in Brazil’s ethanol and sugarcane sector in 2024 with the full acquisition of Bunge. Now operating as BP Bioenergy, the company owns 11 plants and ranks as Brazil’s second-largest ethanol producer, behind Raizen, a joint venture between Shell and Cosan.
The company plans to leverage this position to expand into biomethane production and other biofuels derived from ethanol, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), de la Vega explained.
BP is also in the process of developing its first biomethane project in Brazil, located in the central-western Goias state. The project, which will produce 70,000 m³/d of biomethane, will use sugarcane bagasse as feedstock.
Additionally, BP is co-processing SAF and is open to exploring other technologies, including alcohol-to-jet, in the future. The company sees SAF as a promising area in Brazil, given its significant role as a jet fuel distributor in the country, supplying fuel to over 40 airports.
De la Vega also highlighted the company’s interest in corn-based ethanol production. “You can’t ignore corn,” he said, noting that there are potential synergies between corn and sugarcane.
Corn ethanol has rapidly expanded in Brazil, with production reaching 7.55 billion liters (130,315 b/d) in 2024, representing 20% of the country’s total ethanol output. Projections indicate that Brazil will produce 9.8 billion liters of corn ethanol in the 2025-26 crop cycle, according to a median estimate in an Argus survey.
