Brazil's Hermasa eyeing 100% biodiesel-fueled river fleet

Brazil's Hermasa Navegação da Amazônia is interested in fueling its river fleet with biodiesel (B100) only, a source close to the matter told BNamericas. 

If the company’s plan is approved by watchdog ANP, it intends to demand an initial quantity of 150,000l for a trip between Porto Velho, in Rondônia, and Itacoatiara, in Amazonas.

Hermasa’s fleet comprises eight vessels: Jaime Ribeiro, Sabino Pissollo, Arlindo Cavalca, Hermínio Mezomo, Itiquira, Sapezal, Rondonópolis and André Maggi.

The company belongs to the Amaggi group, a Brazilian grain multinational that also operates in the logistics and energy businesses. 

On Tuesday, Amaggi announced it will have the largest fleet of road trucks in agribusiness fueled with B100. The company has invested in the acquisition of 100 trucks fully ready to run on the sustainable fuel. 

The initiative is part of the company's decarbonization strategy, in line with its goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

The new trucks are from Scania. In addition to the 100 vehicles adapted to biodiesel, Amaggi has also acquired another 250 trucks from the same manufacturer, which will be used to expand the company's road fleet. 

The B100-powered vehicles should be delivered starting May next year.

Scania owns 700 trucks and is expected to end 2024 with 1,100 units.

The B100 to be used by Amaggi comes from the company's biodiesel plant, which began operating earlier this year.

The plant is in Lucas do Rio Verde, Mato Grosso, in the area where the company operates a grain crushing industry and where the raw material for making biofuel comes from. The plant has an estimated capacity to produce 368,000m3 of biodiesel per year.