Brazil’s fuel map is about to get a little denser.
Acelen, controlled by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, is preparing to lift diesel output at the Mataripe refinery by 10% this June—an upgrade woven into a 736 million reais investment plan for the year. The move will push daily diesel production to 13,700 cubic meters, up from 12,400, tightening supply in a country that still leans heavily on imports to keep trucks and tractors running.
Mataripe, the nation’s second-largest refinery, accounts for roughly 14% of Brazil’s refining capacity. Since Acelen acquired the site from Petrobras in 2021, diesel capacity there will have climbed by about a quarter once the latest expansion comes online.
The timing is deliberate. Brazil imported nearly 29% of the diesel it consumed last year, according to data from consulting firm StoneX—a signal that domestic appetite for fuel continues to outpace local output.
But the refinery’s transformation is not just about squeezing more barrels from existing steel. Acelen has mapped out a broader 4 billion reais plan through 2030, aimed at reinforcing maintenance standards, tightening safety protocols, improving energy efficiency and pushing forward on decarbonization.
Next door, another chapter is being drafted. Acelen Renewables, also backed by Mubadala, is advancing a biofuels complex designed to produce up to 1 billion liters annually. The project, expected to begin operations by 2028, has already locked in contracts covering roughly 90% of its initial sustainable aviation fuel output—an early sign that airlines are lining up for cleaner alternatives.
In Bahia, the refinery that once symbolized a state-led oil era is steadily recasting itself—diesel first, biofuels next—under a new global owner betting that Brazil’s energy demand still has miles to run.
