Solazyme and Bunge break ground on renewable oil plant in Brazil

Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company, and Bunge Global Innovation LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bunge Limited, a global agribusiness and food company, announced that they have broken ground on a 100,000 metric ton renewable oil production facility adjacent to Bunge’s Moema sugarcane mill in Brazil. Construction has started on schedule and the plant is targeted to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2013. Additionally, Hildo Henz has been appointed general manager of the joint venture, which was formed in April 2012 and will operate under the name Solazyme Bunge Produtos Renovaveis Ltda. Henz previously was the engineering director at Brenco, a Brazilian renewable energy company. Prior to Brenco, he was CEO of Alberto Pasqualini – REFAP S/A, a Petrobras/Repsol joint-venture refinery in Brazil. He had previously served as a strategic planning manager at Petrobras in Rio de Janeiro. “Our joint venture with Solazyme is off to a strong start and we continue to build excitement about the renewable oil product opportunities that will emerge from the partnership,” said Ben Pearcy, managing director of Sugar & Bioenergy and chief development officer, Bunge Limited. “We are very happy to have broken ground on our Solazyme-Bunge joint venture facility on schedule and are also greatly pleased to have brought Hildo on board to run the JV,” said Jonathan Wolfson, Solazyme CEO.