Be8 Becomes 1st Company in South America Certified by CARB to Supply Biodiesel to California

(Be8/Biobased Diesel Daily) Brazilian biodiesel producer Be8 announced in April that it has just received certification from the California Air Resources Board for its biodiesel production pathway based on animal fats.

According to Be8, its biodiesel facility in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is the first in South America to be authorized by CARB for exporting biodiesel made via this production route.

“This is without a doubt another historic achievement for Be8, as CARB is California’s air-quality control agency responsible for enforcing extremely strict environmental regulations—recognized as some of the most stringent in the world,” said Erasmo Carlos Battistella, the president of Be8.

“It took many years of dedicated work, especially from our certifications team, to achieve this international milestone,” Battistella added.

“I thank our team for the effort, which places Be8 in a unique position in the market,” he said.

Ricardo Reckziegel, Be8’s commercial director, said, “This achievement opens the doors to the California market, one of the most strategic and demanding in the sector. It provides Be8 with greater flexibility in product allocation, reduces domestic dependency, and enables access to markets with different profitability profiles.”

After becoming a pioneer in trade with the European Union in 2013, Be8 made the first-ever Brazilian export of biodiesel to the United States in 2023 through certification by the U.S. EPA.

With CARB certification, the company is now expanding its operations to California.

“We’re proud of our pioneering international strategy and the confirmation of our production quality through certification by U.S. agencies,” Battistella said.

Headquartered in Passo Fundo, the company also has offices in São Paulo and Cuiabá, Brazil; Geneva, Switzerland; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The company has production facilities in Brazil in Passo Fundo, Marialva, Nova Marilândia, Floriano, and Santo Antônio do Tauá; as well as in La Paloma, Paraguay; and Domdidier, Switzerland. READ MORE

Excerpt from Be8: Eight Brazilian companies, Be8's customers, participated in the event to learn about the latest in biofuel development, the best and only way to decarbonize the liquid transportation industry with current technology; The U.S. market received Brazil's first biodiesel exports in 2023, as part of the company's internationalization and growth strategy

As part of its growth strategy in Brazil and abroad, Be8 participates with a group of customers in another edition of the Clean Fuels Conference, held until February 8, (2025) in Texas, United States. "We are experiencing the most advanced development of biofuels, the best and only way to decarbonize the liquid transportation industry with current technology," said Erasmo Carlos Battistella, president of Be8, a member company of the Clean Fuels Alliance America, seven years ago.

With the theme of "Connected Energies", the event brings together the main players in the biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel industry and clearly indicates how far we have to go in Brazil and South America in terms of technology and market development to meet decarbonization goals.

"We found here that the state of California already uses more biodiesel and renewable diesel (60%) than petroleum (40%). And we also see the prospect of increasing the use of biofuels in their various modes," said Battistella. taking advantage of the event to articulate with colleagues in the United States the strengthening of the creation of the Global Biofuels Agency, which should concentrate efforts to promote the adoption of renewable fuels in the global energy matrix, as proposed by the Brazilian government during the World Economic Forum, held in Davos, Switzerland.

Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that the production of biomass-based diesel in that country – including biodiesel, green diesel (HVO), sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and heating oil – reached 15 billion liters in 2023, a growth of 25% compared to 2022.

"The clean fuels industry has witnessed significant growth in recent years, spurred by a global push to reduce carbon emissions and promote environmental sustainability," said Donnell Rehagen, CEO of the Clean Fuels Alliance America, ahead of the event.

"This growth is spurred by increased investment, technological advancements, policies and a growing awareness of the need for low-carbon alternatives," he said. He highlighted the exponential growth of green diesel (HVO), sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the maturity of biodiesel as an opportunity to "unlock substantial new markets in the near future."

The U.S. market is the new target of interest for Be8's export strategy. The company was a pioneer in the export of biodiesel to the European continent, starting operations in 2013. In the case of the United States, it made its first export in 2023, the result of a process that took three years to certify the Passo Fundo (RS) and Marialva (PR) units.

The first export on a commercial scale was carried out with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) registration. This seal authorizes the commercialization based on the guarantee that the production has been segregated and within North American standards.

In 2023, the country exported 108 million liters of biodiesel, an increase of almost 160%. Be8 alone shipped 85 million liters, an increase of 57% compared to the previous year. "The success of Be8's biodiesel export is a demonstration that we have the quality, capacity and price to conquer these more demanding markets," says Erasmo Carlos Battistella.

Here in Brazil, starting in March, there will be an increase in the biodiesel blend to 14% (B14) when we should already be reaping the benefits of B15. For Battistella, "this is a reconstruction of a positive transition perspective after being frozen in a mixture of B10 in 2022 and the resumption of B12 last year".

He is also awaiting the approval of the Fuel of the Future Program Bill, which brings a set of initiatives to promote sustainable low-carbon mobility and will help Brazil achieve international goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. READ MORE