Amyris’s farnesane receives regulatory approval in Brazil

Amyris, a global renewable products company, has received approval for its renewable jet fuel by Brazil's fuels regulator, ANP.

This enables it to approach commercialisation in Brazil of the Amyris renewable jet fuel in blends of up to 10%.

'Building on the revised ASTM International standard for aviation turbine fuel approved in June 2014, Brazil's ANP has now removed the last regulatory hurdle for the use of our renewable jet fuel in Brazil. We are now commercialising our product in Brazil as well as around the world,' says John Melo, president and CEO of Amyris. 'The airline industry continues to experience strong growth and, while current low oil prices may provide a short-lived respite, the impact of carbon pollution is undeniable.'

Environmental Science & Technology, a scientific journal, has published an evaluation of the carbon footprint of Amyris's farnesane, including various production scenarios and land use. The authors concluded that farnesane, which is produced from Brazilian sugarcane, has a net life cycle emission of 8.5 grams CO2eq/MJ. When compared with its fossil equivalent, this would represent a reduction of approximately 90% on a lifecycle basis.