Brazil will allow the import of used cooking oil only for the production of sustainable aviation fuel, a government representative said on Wednesday, marking a shift from current rules that largely ban such imports, Argus reported.
At present, Brazil does not permit used cooking oil imports because it falls under restrictions applied to most solid waste. This differs from the approach in several other countries, where used cooking oil is treated as a raw material for fuel or power generation. The government now plans to allow a limited import quota, which has not yet been defined, to support aviation fuel production for a fixed period, said Euler Lage, a project manager for renewable energy in the office of the presidential chief of staff, during a webinar.
Market sources said some suppliers have been bringing used cooking oil into Brazil by declaring it as other types of fats to get around the current restrictions.
Used cooking oil and animal fat are among the main raw materials used in one of the common methods for producing sustainable aviation fuel. However, speakers at the webinar said Brazil is expected to place greater focus on fuel made from plant-based materials and alcohol-based processes. They said crops grown after the main harvest in Brazil generally have a lower environmental impact compared with similar crops in countries such as the United States.
The webinar was held on January 28 and was organised by Sustainable Aviation Futures Latin America, a platform focused on reducing emissions in the aviation sector, along with Brazil’s civil aviation agency, Anac. Sustainable Aviation Futures will hold another event in São Paulo from March 2 to 4 to discuss rules and regional development related to aviation fuel.
Brazil expects to complete its rules for sustainable aviation fuel by June 2026. According to estimates from energy research group EPE, domestic production could reach about 661 million litres in 2027, increase to 1.7 billion litres by 2030, and rise further to 2.8 billion litres by 2033.
