26 de December de 2023

AMAGGI will have its first 100% biodiesel B100 farm

AMAGGI will take yet another important and innovative step towards the decarbonization of its operations. As of March 2024, the company will have its first farm where biodiesel (B100) will be the sole fuel used in machinery for operations. B100 will be used at Sete Lagoas Farm, in Diamantino (MT), in partnership with manufacturer John Deere.

Sete Lagoas Farm spans 3,600 hectares and cultivates soybeans and corn. The soy-based biodiesel, B100, that will fuel the machinery on the property, will be produced by AMAGGI itself at its biodiesel plant in Lucas do Rio Verde (MT).

Operating a farm without using fossil fuels is aligned with the company’s socio-environmental goals.

“One of our goals is the decarbonization of our businesses, reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” states Judiney Carvalho, CEO of AMAGGI. “AMAGGI is always working towards honoring sustainability commitments, and initiatives such as that of Sete Lagoas Farm are an example of this,” he adds.

This initiative is also aligned with what had been previously discussed at COP28, which happened in Dubai from November 30th to December 12th: countries must undergo an energy transition and increasingly reduce the use of fossil fuels. Deep, quick, and sustainable reduction is necessary to limit the increase of the global temperature by 1.5°C.

Judiney Carvalho also highlights that there is extremely important synergy across the company’s businesses. B100 produced at the AMAGGI factory comes from raw materials sourced from the company’s own grain crushing industry. “This same fuel will be used for our road fleet starting next year, and soon we will extend this use to our river fleet,” details Carvalho.

Sete Lagoas Farm was chosen to be the first to operate entirely with B100 biodiesel due to its environmental significance, since its area is home to one of the springs that form the Paraguay River, a watercourse that runs through the Cerrado, Pantanal, and Chaco biomes and is one of the most important in South America.

PARTNERSHIP

Company trials to operate with B100 started in March 2022, at the company’s largest farm, Itamarati, in Campo Novo do Parecis (MT). Overall, there have already been nearly 20 thousand hours of machine operation with the biofuel, which attests to its safety and effectiveness for use.

The work’s progress benefited from the important partnership with John Deere, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery, heavy construction equipment, and implements. “We represent a company that aims to offer what’s best to its clients, not limited only to the product or business areas, but also including the entire community and the planet. In this context, John Deere engines are capable of being powered by biodiesel. This initiative reinforces our daily commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to contribute to an increasingly sustainable agriculture,” states Adilson Butzke, Sales Director of John Deere’s Construction Division for Latin America.

The operation with B100 at Farm Sete Lagoas will start following the approval of the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). AMAGGI’s request to the regulatory agency will happen soon, upon the issuance of the proper authorization by the relevant environmental authority.