Environment

The Potencial Group places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, taking a leading role in Brazil’s energy transition. With the establishment of the country’s largest biodiesel plant—capable of producing up to 900 million liters per year, the Group has taken a decisive step toward a cleaner future, significantly reducing CO₂ emissions and contributing to improved air quality.

More than a strategic choice, our environmental stewardship reflects a commitment to addressing major global challenges. The Group invests in biofuels, circular economy, and is already developing solutions for new renewable energy sources, such as green diesel (HVO).

This long-term vision reaffirms the Potencial Group’s role as a transformative agent in the energy sector and reinforces its responsibility toward future generations.

Check out some highlights of our environmental projects below:

100% Biodiesel-Powered Truck:

• The conversion of the first truck to run on B-100 required an investment of approximately R$ 20,000, involving a series of technical modifications, such as parts replacement and vehicle software updates.
• Today, this pioneer has already surpassed the 50,000-kilometer mark, proving the efficiency of pure biodiesel in practice. The results in performance, wear, and emissions outperform those of the standard diesel cycle, with the added advantage of reducing pollutant gas emissions into the atmosphere by up to 90%.
• Building on this success, The Potencial Group is already leading an even larger project: converting its entire fleet to operate on B-100, reaffirming its commitment to innovation, efficiency, and sustainability.

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Project Usibem:

Usibem is a Potencial Group program that promotes the large-scale collection of used cooking oil, ensuring its proper disposal and transformation into biodiesel—a clean and renewable fuel. Through this project, we guarantee a reduction in environmental impact by providing a correct destination for waste, earning recognition from consumers as a conscious company, and participating in the circular economy.

To date, Usibem has transformed 33.5 million liters of used oil into biodiesel, preserving more than 835 billion liters of water.

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Arla 32:

• In July 2023, we inaugurated our Arla 32 (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) plant, with an installed capacity of up to 1 million liters per month. The project was developed to be a benchmark for efficiency and innovation within the sector, utilizing 304 stainless steel throughout the entire structure—a material recognized for its high compatibility and inert properties.
• The infrastructure was carefully planned to prevent any possibility of cross-contamination during the production process, ensuring maximum safety and quality.
• Furthermore, all validation analyses are conducted in-house in a dedicated laboratory, under the supervision of a specialized chemist. This level of care ensures compliance with IBAMA regulations and reinforces the product’s credibility, which is backed by INMETRO, ISO 9001, and ISO 22241 certifications.

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Potencial Agro:

Potencial Agro reaffirms its commitment to sustainability and efficiency, reaching the milestone of 650 million liters of biodiesel sold and 102.5 thousand tons of other products. Furthermore, the company has advanced its environmental preservation practices by recovering 60,480 m³ of water and reducing wood chip (cavaco) consumption by 2.6 thousand tons through the condensate return process at its plant. These achievements consolidate its position as a benchmark in the renewable energy and industrial innovation sectors.

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Refined Glycerin:

Since 2018, Potencial Biodiesel has been producing refined glycerin, used in the manufacturing of a wide range of products, such as medicine capsules, anesthetics, ointments, antibiotics, syrups, candies, cakes, resins, and much more.

In its crude state, glycerin is a byproduct of the transesterification reaction—one of the stages in the biodiesel production process. Through a rigorous purification process—which includes drying, distillation, deodorization, bleaching, and filtration—we remove water, methanol, chlorides, and other impurities, achieving a product with a purity level close to 100%. This quality standard meets the stringent criteria of the USP* and European pharmacopeias, resulting in USP Grade Refined Glycerin.

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Sewage Treatment:

Acquisition of a sanitary Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) for Potencial Biodiesel. With the capacity to treat 55 m³ of sanitary effluent per day, the STP fully meets the industry’s current needs while also accounting for future expansions.

Plant II High-Pressure Condensate Return Project: The system has resulted in annual water savings of 60,480 m³. It also saved 2,654,905 kg of eucalyptus wood chips per year—an amount equivalent to 6.8 hectares of eucalyptus planted over a seven-year period.

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Uniform Recycling:

An innovative and sustainable initiative repurposed used uniforms from The Potencial Group employees, transforming them into school backpacks. Guided by the concept of the circular economy, the project was carried out in partnership with the Borda Viva Association—an institution dedicated to social development and women’s empowerment in the Borda do Campo community in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná. The fabrics were delivered to the Association’s Sewing House (Casa da Costura) to manufacture the backpacks, which were included in school kits. These kits directly benefited 292 children (sons and daughters of The Potencial Group employees) ranging from preschool to high school.

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Grrenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG):

To ensure transparency and rigor in the control and reduction of emissions in 2024, The Potencial Group has begun developing a consolidated Emissions Inventory in accordance with the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program methodology. This methodology determines the emission factors and Global Warming Potential (GWP) indices utilized.

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