Cemvita, Radix Advance Engineering for Circular Bio-Oil SAF Feedstock Project
Cemvita and Radix have completed front-end engineering work for a circular bio-oil project in Brazil aimed at converting crude glycerin—a byproduct of biodiesel production—into a low-carbon bio-oil that can be used as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other advanced biofuels.
The project is positioned as an early-stage effort to move Cemvita's biomanufacturing process from development toward a design that could be built and operated at an industrial scale. Cemvita's process uses synthetic biology to convert crude glycerin, typically a low-value waste stream, into a bio-oil that can be upgraded through existing refinery pathways, including co-processing and HEFA-based SAF production.
"This project demonstrates how innovation and industrial engineering can work together to enable energy transition," said Luiz Mello, Head of Energy at Radix. "Cemvita has developed a unique and differentiated technology. Our close collaboration aims to ensure that this technology can be engineered, built, and operated at an industrial scale with the discipline and quality required for long-term success."
Radix is serving as the engineering partner on the project, working alongside Cemvita to define operating parameters, validate assumptions, and adapt the process to real-world industrial constraints. The engineering work is intended to reduce project risk and support future deployment decisions. According to the companies, the engineering work is intended to reduce execution risk and move the project closer to a buildable asset.
While Brazil has long been a global leader in biofuels through ethanol production, this project targets a different segment of the value chain by expanding the usable feedstock base for low-carbon fuels. The companies say the approach is designed to be scalable and replicable across biodiesel facilities, where crude glycerin is widely produced as a byproduct.
Cemvita noted that adapting the project design for Brazilian conditions—referred to as "tropicalization"—resulted in a significant reduction in projected production costs by leveraging local infrastructure, utilities, and industrial assets.
"What the teams have accomplished in the past six months reflects a very high level of engineering collaboration and discipline," said Luciano Zamberlan, VP of Operations and Engineering at Cemvita. "Together with Radix, we successfully tropicalized a project initially designed for the U.S., adapting equipment selection, utilities, layout, and integration strategies to Brazil. This approach enabled close to a 40% reduction in cost per ton of bio‑oil produced, while leveraging strong synergies with existing industrial assets and local capabilities."
The project remains in development, with a final investment decision targeted for 2026. While no commercial facility has been announced, the collaboration reflects continued R&D and engineering investment in circular economy strategies focused on converting industrial byproducts into higher-value inputs rather than discarding them.
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Laura Davis
Editor-in-Chief, New Equipment Digest
Laura Davis is the editor in chief of New Equipment Digest (NED), a brand part of the Manufacturing Group at EndeavorB2B. NED covers all products, equipment, solutions, and technology related to the broad scope of manufacturing, from mops and buckets to robots and automation. Laura has been a manufacturing product writer for eight years, knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the industry, along with what readers are looking for when wanting to learn about the latest products on the market.