Acelen Agripark marks first year with biofactory scarifying 1.7M macauba seeds/month

Purpose and funding

Acelen Agripark was developed to transform macauba, a native Brazilian species, into a viable commercial crop and feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (HVO). The complex required R$314 million of investment, R$258 million of which was financed by BNDES.

Biofactory and R&D

The technological core is a 1,500 m² cleanroom biofactory where robotic scarification has lifted germination performance. The facility can scarify up to 1.7 million seeds per month (one seed per second), enabling commercial-scale seedling production. LabNext, the R&D and quality-control laboratory, can perform up to 160,000 analyses per year across 93 analysis types with 87 pieces of equipment to monitor water, soil, fruit, oil and effluents.

Processing and nursery technology

The pilot plant is a fully automated unit that processes up to two metric tons of fruit per hour and operates four oil-extraction processes simultaneously to validate industrial technologies. An automated sowing line uses biodegradable seed tubes and traceability for individual plant monitoring. The nursery capacity is 10.5 million seedlings per year.

Scale and regional impact

Technologies are being transferred to field cultivation on degraded areas. The broader project plans 144,000 hectares to supply 1 billion litres/year of SAF and HVO, with an FGV study projecting up to US$40 billion added to the economy and 85,000 jobs over implementation. The complex currently employs 146 people, 37.7% women, and partners with universities and research centres.