Soleum's macaúba oil has the potential for a negative carbon footprint

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), a globally recognised international organisation that provides guidelines on the sustainable development of the bio-economy, has recently completed an independent study on the carbon footprint of the macaúba palm oil – produced by Soleum at the ‘Fazenda Soleá’ plantation, which houses the company’s Technical-Scientific Center, located in Jo?o Pinheiro (MG).

The analysis was performed in accordance with the RSB Greenhouse Gas Calculation methodology, and collected data from the agricultural stage (i.e. planting the macaúba, using machinery for fertilisation and using nitrogenous and phosphate fertilisers) and data from the industrial stage (i.e. processing branch clusters and extracting the oil). The result of the study was 197 grams of CO2 equivalent per kg of macaúba oil (or 5.3 gCO2e/MJ of macaúba oil), without taking into account the change in the land-use or the accumulated carbon in the soil.

The study also recorded the carbon credits relating to the Soil Carbon Accumulation (SCA) and to the Land Use Change (LUC). When the specific characteristics of the location are taken into consideration, the carbon footprint of the macaúba oil is extremely negative. The farm in Jo?o Pinheiro lies in an extremely damaged grassland region of the Cerrado biome, in which the macaúba has been planted using conservative agricultural techniques as well as optimising the use of waste generated in the company’s agricultural and industrial branches. Here, the carbon footprint of the macaúba oil can go as low as -900 gCO2e/kg of macaúba oil, which would be equivalent to -24.3 gCO2e/MJ. In other words, within this context, the production of the macaúba oil sequesters far more GHGs than it emits over the life-cycle assessed.

According to Simone Sousa, the RSB LCA GHG Expert, this is due to the change in the land-use. “Based on data provided by Soleum, we evaluated the amount of carbon in a damaged grassland scenario and compared it to a theorical carbon stock in a macaúba crop area,” she explains. The carbon that has accumulated in the soil is also considered. “This item is related to the improvement in land management, because a perennial crop, such as the macaúba and other palms, provides nutrients for the roots, which in turn favours the accumulation of carbon,” she adds. Simone emphasises that, “for certification purpose, Soleum Partners will need to provide evidence, especially on land-use and soil carbon stock. Further requirements for measuring and monitoring soil carbon stock are currently taking place in the regulatory committees (e.g. EU RED) and in the RSB working groups”.

According to Carolina Grassi, RSB Policy & Innovations Manager, Soleum is aware of the new demands that have arisen. “The market is demanding a circular economy of renewable carbon, not just a low-carbon economy,” she says. “A low-carbon economy, in which the carbon used is derived from fossil fuels is not enough; there must be innovative and optimised processes that emit less carbon by using renewable and recycled carbons, she adds. According to Carolina, Brazil has the potential to meet the demand for the production of biofuels and bio-products by producing biomass (sugarcane and corn, for example) or using waste, such as that from sugarcane, eucalyptus forests, beef tallow and used cooking oil. The macaúba appears as a new variety of biomass with huge potential to supply the demand of fuel and chemical markets in a sustainable way.

?Carolina has highlighted the macaúba because it is a native Brazilian species and has a capacity to produce 9 tons of oil per hectare – at least 3 times more than other species used for oil production. “Soleum is very committed with the macaúba production and shows that it is possible to produce macaúba on a large scale in harmony with the environment. Following the RSB’s sustainability principles, and considering the technology developed by Soleum, it is possible to cultivate macaúba whilst recuperating areas of damaged land and fostering social and economic development,” the RSB Policy & Innovations Manager concludes.

This study was supported by WRI Brazil. WRI Brazil is a research institute that supports the restoration of damaged areas through the planting of native species in agroforestry systems, or through the Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry system, in projects with positive environmental and social impacts.