Brazil-headed ECB Group, an investment holding company of Brazilian entrepreneur Erasmo Carlos Battistella, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Paraguay to continue the group's investments in the country. The largest of them, the Omega Green complex, worth more than US$800 million, is planned to house the largest second-generation renewable fuel biorefinery in the Southern Hemisphere.
The planned Omega Green biorefinery will produce renewable diesel (HVO) and renewable kerosene (sustainable aviation fuel – SAF) for civil and military aviation, with potential for attracting international capital and adding to the estimated GDP of Paraguay more than US$8 billion over a decade.
The biorefinery will have a daily production capacity of up to 16 500 barrels of renewable fuel, enough to meet more than a third of Paraguayan consumption of fossil diesel. Most of this production will be exported to countries that are signatories of the Paris Agreement, which need to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by replacing oil products.
This decrease in diesel imports and higher exports of higher value-added products will have a very positive impact on Paraguay’s trade balance.
Global reference in sustainability
The proposed industrial complex will generate more than 3 000 jobs during its construction and 2 400 direct and indirect jobs during the operation, in addition to increasing income for local farmers. Altogether, more than 10 000 families will benefit, through programs of social certification of the family production.
Omega Green is touted as an innovative project, not only for introducing renewable fuels in the Southern Hemisphere but mainly for the production process that makes it an unparalleled enterprise in terms of sustainability.
Its production will have as main inputs only organic and renewable products, such as soybean oil produced in areas “without environmental liabilities” and obtained through the extraction with the use of renewable hexane, recycled animal fat, used cooking oil (UCO) and hydrogen solely obtained through the electrolysis of water.
The complex will be powered exclusively by renewable energy.
Our goal is to have the cleanest and renewable biofuel production possible, unique in the world, certified by the most rigorous international quality and sustainability criteria, said Erasmo Carlos Battistella, President of ECB Group.
Unique conditions in Paraguay
According to the businessman, active in the agricultural and renewable energy sectors and already one of the largest biodiesel producers in Brazil, Paraguay has unique conditions for economic viability and the sustainability of the project.
It is a country with a significant supply of energy and water for hydrogen production, growth potential of the soybean crop, supply of other raw materials for biofuels and a very favorable business and logistics environment, explained Erasmo Carlos Battistella.
The entire industrial structure of the complex will be provided by world leaders in supplying these technologies and equipment, such as Crown Iron Works for the vegetable oil extraction and treatment processes, ThyssenKrupp in electrolysis, and Honeywell UOP in hydrotreatment in a unique South American project.
In addition to providing an annual reduction of 1.3 billion tonnes in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by replacing fossil fuels, Omega Green will have solutions designed specifically to strengthen sustainability, such as generating steam from biomass and the treatment of all wastes and by-products, making the complex fully sustainable and certifiable in the strictest international protocols.
To be built on the banks of the Paraguay River the project includes a logistic port and a port terminal for shipping products by waterway.
Today is a very important day. We conclude the feasibility studies of Omega Green and go to the second phase, the stage of the executive project. We want to start the construction works already in 2019, ended Erasmo Carlos Battistella.
The implementation of the plant is expected to last 30 months, and the intention is to reach full production capacity during 2022.
