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JetBio plans to build the world’s largest commercial SAF factory in Brazil, with an annual production of 1 billion liters and a focus on export.
Brazil may be on the verge of taking a strategic position in one of the most competitive markets of the global energy transition. JetBio, a company controlled by the American group Summit Agricultural Group, announced plans to build the world’s largest commercial sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) factory in the country, using Brazilian ethanol as the main raw material.
The project foresees an annual production of approximately 1 billion liters of SAF, a volume that would place the future unit on a much larger scale than most enterprises currently in operation or construction in the sector. Production is expected to begin in 2030 and will be strongly oriented towards export, with about 90% of the volume destined for the international market.
World’s largest commercial SAF factory could place Brazil at the center of aviation decarbonization
Sustainable aviation fuel is considered one of the main tools to reduce carbon emissions from air transport. Unlike electric cars, commercial airplanes still heavily rely on liquid fuels, making SAF a strategic alternative for the sector.
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According to JetBio, the future plant will have the capacity to produce up to 254 million gallons per year, equivalent to about 1 billion liters or 770 thousand tons of sustainable aviation fuel. If the plans are realized, the facility will be approximately 25 times larger than some of the first commercial ethanol-based SAF plants currently developed in the United States.
The scale of the project reflects a bet on the rapid expansion of global demand for low-carbon fuels, driven by international aviation decarbonization targets.
Sugarcane, corn, and waste ethanol will be the basis of the fuel that can supply airlines worldwide
One of the project’s differentiators is the raw material. JetBio intends to use a wide network of Brazilian ethanol suppliers, including sugarcane producers, second-crop corn ethanol, and even fuels produced from agricultural waste. This diversity reduces supply risks and expands production capacity.
According to JetBio CEO, William Moore, the availability of low-carbon intensity ethanol was one of the main factors that led the company to choose Brazil instead of the United States to host the unit.
The country is already one of the world’s largest ethanol producers and has a consolidated chain involving agriculture, logistics, and large-scale industrial processing.
$2 Billion Project Reinforces the Importance of Brazilian Agribusiness in the New Low-Carbon Economy
The investment planned for the construction of the factory is around $2 billion, according to information released by the Summit Agricultural Group. The financing is expected to be raised from American investors interested in the growth of the global sustainable fuels market.
The initiative also strengthens the connection between Brazilian agribusiness and the renewable energy industry. Ethanol produced from sugarcane and corn ceases to be just a fuel for automobiles and begins to occupy a strategic space in one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize: commercial aviation.
Additionally, the project creates a new source of demand for ethanol producers, expanding opportunities for plants and suppliers across the country.
Paulínia Emerges as Favorite to Host the Megafactory
Although the final decision has not yet been officially announced, the city of Paulínia, in the interior of São Paulo, appears as the main candidate to host the enterprise. The location offers access to highways, railways, and already consolidated industrial infrastructure.
The choice would also facilitate access to important ethanol-producing hubs in the Brazilian Center-South, reducing logistical costs and ensuring large-scale supply for the future operation.
The construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027, if regulatory and financing processes advance as expected by the company.
The Global Race for SAF is Just Beginning and Brazil Wants to Lead
Today, sustainable fuels represent a very small portion of the total global aviation consumption. In 2025, SAF accounted for less than 1% of the sector’s global demand, but it is expected to grow rapidly as new environmental requirements come into effect.
Starting in 2027, airlines from various countries will face stricter emission reduction targets, increasing the demand for renewable fuels capable of replacing part of the traditional kerosene.
In this scenario, Brazil has two advantages that few competitors possess simultaneously: enormous availability of biomass and one of the most developed ethanol chains on the planet.
If the JetBio project comes to fruition as planned, the country could transition from being just an agricultural powerhouse to becoming one of the world’s largest suppliers of sustainable aviation fuel.
The question now is whether this megafactory will be just the first step of a new billion-dollar industry or the beginning of a global race in which Brazil will attempt to lead a market that is still being built.
