Passo Fundo bus fleet in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, trials Be8 BeVant®

Photo: Be8

Coleurb, the company responsible for urban public transport in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, for more than six decades, and biodiesel producer Be8 recently formed a strategic partnership that, according to Be8, marks a new chapter for sustainable urban mobility in Brazil.

The initiative provides for the use of 100 percent Be8 BeVant® biofuel in part of the city’s bus fleet, with the potential to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by up to 99 percent, Be8 stated.

Be8 BeVant® is double-distilled, additized biodiesel with a high degree of purity that can be used at 100 percent concentration (B100) in any diesel vehicle without the need for engine modifications.

The fuel also features a green color to set it apart from other biofuels.

In this first stage of the project, two vehicles—a Mercedes-Benz bus and a Volkswagen—will start operating with Be8 BeVant®.

At the launch event, four new buses were presented for fleet renewal, symbolizing the beginning of the adoption of the new biofuel.

The contract has an initial duration of six months, a period that will serve as a basis for evaluating performance, environmental impacts and feasibility of expanding the solution to the entire fleet.

“This partnership with Coleurb represents more than a contract—it is a commitment to the future of mobility and to the future of the planet,” said Erasmo Carlos Battistella, president of Be8. “The Be8 BeVant® shows that it is possible to immediately reduce emissions without compromising the operational efficiency of transport. We are democratizing access to sustainable solutions that are already available today, proving that the energy transition is not a distant promise—it is already happening.”

Battistella explained that the announcement is also very special for Be8, because the new biofuel was developed and patented by the engineering of the plant in Passo Fundo.

For Coleurb, the initiative is fully aligned with the modernization and innovation process that the company has been conducting in recent years.

The implementation of electronic ticketing was one of the first steps of this movement, as well as the acquisition of new vehicles incorporated into the fleet.

Sustainability is a fundamental pillar of this strategy, which already includes the use of solar panels, the water-treatment plant, waste separation and a fleet equipped with Euro 6 technology.

In this context, the use of Be8 BeVant® biofuel in buses paves the way for a more sustainable urban-mobility model, Be8 stated.

“Coleurb understands sustainability as a real commitment to the future of urban mobility,” said Carlos Henrique Pereira, Coleurb’s director. “By starting this partnership with Be8, we became part of an innovative project, which combines technology, environmental responsibility and operational efficiency. In addition to contributing to the reduction of environmental impacts, we also assist in the expansion of more sustainable solutions for public transport, strengthening the viability of the city’s mobility.”

Mayor Pedro Almeida added, “This partnership between Coleurb and Be8 places Passo Fundo at the forefront of sustainable urban movement in Brazil, showing that it is possible to take care of the environment with real and efficient solutions. The adoption of biofuel in the public-transport fleet reinforces our commitment to innovation, to the reduction of emissions and, above all, to the quality of life of the population. It is an advance that is born here, values the technology developed in Passo Fundo and projects the city as a reference in energy transition.”