BSBIOS inaugurates Unit of Grain Processing

The industrial plant will consume 10% of Soybean production of RS

More than 400 people were present this Tuesday afternoon (22), the opening of the Grain Processing Unit of BSBIOS, in Passo Fundo (RS). The ceremony counted on the presence of the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Tarso Genro, the secretaries of Agriculture, Cattle and Agro-business, Luiz Fernando Mainardi, Public Security, Airton Michels, Infrastructure and Logistics, Beto Albuquerque, Solidarity Economy and Support to Micro and Small Companies, Maurício Dziedricki, Rural Development, Fishing and Cooperativism, Ivar Pavan, Health, Ciro Simoni and Gabinet, Vinicius Wu, among other authorities.

The ceremony marked officially, the fulfillment of the second stage of the initial project of BSBIOS, which was the verticalization of Biodiesel production. The CEO of the company, Erasmo Carlos Battistella, states how importance this unit is through some data that it generates. "This unit consumes 850 thousand tons of soybean per year and this represents nearly 10% of the production of the state, that is, this percentage of grains is benefitted here, and it is converted in dividends that remain in Rio Grande do Sul. Only from family agriculture, R$ 140 million were acquired in products," said Battistella.

BSBIOS is a young industry which is in development. The businessman states that "this year the turnover shall reach R$1 billion and this means a return of R$ 44 million in ICMS (a state value-added tax on services and circulation of goods), what shall make it the largest company of Passo Fundo". He also stated that around 4100 trucks and 1200 wagons ride by the company. Governor Tarso Genro confirmed the businessman's speech by emphasizing that the state has passed through a period of changes towards its economic model, "we used to dream about having assemblers in Rio Grande, today, our investors are from around here. That is why we have encouraged these companies, which have aggregated value to soybean and also income and job to gaúchos."The state secretary of Agriculture, Cattle and Supply, Luiz Fernando Mainardi, reminded that approximately 38 thousand producers provide raw material to industries of Biodiesel and they yield around R$ 100 million in ICMS to the state.

To the chairman of Petrobras Biofuel and president of the Management Council of BSBIOS, Miguel Rossetto, "the enterprise guarantees a positive verticalization in the company, enlarging the availability of raw material, vegetable oil and increasing competitiveness and efficiency in production of Biodiesel", he asserts. He still said that he considers the Unit as a world reference produced by gaúchos. "There is no industrial platform in the world which has more quality than this one". The Unit of Grain Processing produces 158.4 thousand degummed oil, which is used for the production of Biodiesel, and 660 thousand tons of soybean meal, raw material for animal feed. The investment in the enterprise, which owns two silos for grain storage with total capacity of 120 thousand tons and a silo for bran of 62 thousand tons was R$130 million.

BSBIOS - which was consisted of a partnership between Petrobras Biofuel and BSBIOS - has capacity to produce 160 million liters of Biodiesel/year in Passo Fundo, generating more than 310 direct work stations and more than 800 indirect work stations. The plant also produces reflexes in the field, 30% of all acquisition of grains is from the production of around fifteen thousand family farmers, soybean and Canola producers in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná.

The CEO of BSBIOS, who also leads the Association of Biodiesel Producers of Brazil (APROBIO), required the Governor support for the generation of a new Regulatory Mark for Biodiesel. "We wish to grow even more, and so that we are able to do that, the sector needs that a new regulation is implanted, contemplating several points that involve all productive chain," asserted Battistella.