This new plant will produce 20,000 tons of ammonia per year to replace fossil-based fertilizers in agriculture
Tsubame BHB Co., Ltd. , which is aiming for the social implementation and commercialization of distributed ammonia manufacturing plants, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with ATVOS AGROINDUSTRIAL PARTICIPAÇÕES S.A in Brazil, one of the leading biofuels companies in Brazil regarding a green aqueous ammonia factory in Mineiros (GO), where Atvos’s Morro Vermelho Unit (UMV) is located, responsible for ethanol production.
The new plant will have an installed capacity of 20,000 tons of the product. It will be used to replace fossil-based fertilizers applied to agricultural areas at both UMV and the Alto Taquari Unit (UAT), located in the homonymous municipality in Mato Grosso. With this solution, Atvos estimates it will avoid the emission of approximately 11 thousand tons of CO2 per year, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.
The execution of this LOI was witnessed by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, at the Japan-Brazil Economic Forum held in Tokyo on March 26, 2025. On 28th March, Mr. Caio Dafico, Investment and Business Development VP at Atvos, visited Tsubame BHB for a tour of the pilot plant, and to conduct discussions on future directions for the project.
Tsubame BHB will further accelerate its efforts to secure this first order for an overseas unit, and to rapidly promote overseas deployment.
Atvos CEO Bruno Serapião said, “As one of the largest biofuels producers in Brazil with the purpose to lead the energy transition to move the world and transform lives, Atvos seeks to contribute to the decarbonization of the globe’s leading economies while also reducing the carbon footprint of its own operations. Thus, the partnership with Tsubame to produce green ammonia represents a significant step toward achieving this goal, as it will enable us to reduce the use of fossil-based nitrogen fertilizers and further strengthen our commitment to fostering the social and economic development of the countryside cities where we are located through job and income generation.
Tsubame BHB CEO Koji Nakamura explained “Brazil has great potential to become a major producer of green hydrogen, by leveraging its abundant renewable energy resources, and it is also a major agricultural nation that consumes nitrogen-based fertilizers in high volumes. As such, I believe that it is one of the countries that can manufacture green ammonia as a fertilizer at the small distributed ammonia synthesis plants offered by Tsubame BHB. I consider it a great honor to be able to collaborate with a major Brazilian bioethanol manufacturing company like Atvos, and I hope that through this collaboration, we can contribute to the decarbonization of agriculture in Brazil.
