The fruit that could power the next generation of flights

Picture Credit: The AgriBiz Brazil is making a bold push to become a global leader in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by turning an unlikely source into jet fuel, the native macauba palm. In the state of Minas Gerais, more than 200 researchers are working on a US$3 billion project to cultivate the oil-rich fruit across 144,000 hectares of land, with the goal of supplying the aviation industry with a cleaner alternative to conventional fossil fuels.

The project is being led by Acelen Renováveis, a renewable energy company owned by Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Capital. The company plans to begin harvesting macauba by 2030, once the first plantations mature, before processing the fruit into sustainable aviation fuel at a new biorefinery under construction in Bahia state. At full capacity, the facility is expected to produce 20,000 barrels of SAF per day, nearly half of the world's total SAF production recorded in 2025.

What makes macauba particularly attractive is its remarkable productivity. According to the company, the palm can produce seven to ten times more oil per hectare than soybeans, making it one of the most efficient feedstocks for biofuel production. Unlike many agricultural crops, the trees are also being planted on degraded pastureland, reducing pressure on farmland used for food production while helping restore underutilized areas.

The project is not without challenges. Macauba trees produce fruit only once a year, and their thorn-covered trunks make harvesting far more difficult than crops such as soybeans or sugarcane. To overcome these obstacles, researchers have developed specialized harvesting, fruit separation and oil extraction technologies that will allow processing to take place near plantations, lowering transport costs and improving efficiency.

As airlines race to reduce carbon emissions, demand for sustainable aviation fuel is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade. If successful, Brazil's macauba initiative could position the country as one of the world's largest suppliers of next-generation aviation fuel while creating a new export industry built around an indigenous crop. For investors and the broader energy sector, it is another reminder that the future of clean energy may depend as much on agricultural innovation as technological breakthroughs.