Petrobras: O mercado de biocombustíveis ibérico é uma porta de entrada para o resto da Europa

(Notícia em Inglês)
The head of Brazilian state-controlled energy giant Petrobras’ biofuels unit said Portugal and Spain are key gateways in the company’s strategy of exporting to the rest of Europe.

Even though Europe is experiencing difficult economic times at present, Petrobras Biocombustivel President Miguel Rossetto told Efe it remains an important market in the new-energy sector “because the environmental agenda is a permanent agenda.”

“Biofuels are part of that big green market that’s out there: there’ll be no going back on the world’s insistence on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” Rossetto said, adding that he is convinced that the European Union will meet the targets it has set in terms of biofuels use.

“We’re working with the projection that, if Europe complies with its guidelines, part of that market will have to be supplied with biofuel imports. We’re prepared to occupy part of that market, for both ethanol and biodiesel,” Rossetto said.

To that end, Petrobras Biocombustivel has signed an agreement with Portugal’s Galp under which the two companies will jointly invest in biodiesel plants in Portugal that will use palm oil grown in Brazil.

The so-called Belem Project – a reference to the capital of the northern Brazilian state of Para, where the palm plantations will be located – will involve the production of 250,000 tons of biodiesel annually for the Iberian market. Galp currently has a 50 percent share of Portugal’s biofuels market and a 10 percent share of Spain’s.

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