Lisbon, Portugal, 15 Dec – Brazilian oil company Petrobras is intensifying its studies for construction of units to produce biodiesel from palm oil, the company's director for ethanol from the biodiesel area said.
The projects for production of biodiesel from palm oil include construction of a factory in the state of Paraná, in northern Brazil, with operations due to begin in June, 2013, and also in Portugal, in partnership with Galp Energia, the so-called Belém Project.
In 2010 in Lisbon a deal was signed by the two oil companies for production in Portugal, at the Sines refinery, of around 260,000 tons of biodiesel per year.
The strategy to supply the biodiesel unit in Portugal includes establishing an agri-industrial hub in Brazil to grow palms with estimated annual production of 300,000 tons per year.
Investments total 216 million euros in Brazil and total estimated investment in the project is 395 million euros, to be shared equally by the two companies.
