On International Clean Energy Day, we explore 5 cases that demonstrate how it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions with strategic planning and actions.

In Brazil, the adoption of new renewable energy sources reached 88.2% in 2024. Advances remain intense, with solar and wind energy increasingly participating in the national energy matrix.

But companies are not only embracing new energy sources, they are also turning to materials and operational details. Check out the 5 examples of effectiveness in reducing CO2 emissions:

Acelen modernizes refinery and will avoid 60 million tons of CO2

Acelen, Mubadala Capital’s energy company, invested more than R$ 3 billion in the modernization of the Mataripe Refinery in four years.
The investments generated efficiency and decarbonization gains, such as a 17% reduction in energy consumption between 2021 and 2025, equivalent to the supply of a city with 2.37 million inhabitants.

The movement includes a solar park to supply 100% of the electricity imported by the refinery.

The strategy connects to Acelen Renováveis, which invests in sustainable fuels from macaúba, a native plant with oil productivity up to ten times higher than soybeans.

The project starts at Acelen Agripark (MG) and plans to recover 180 thousand hectares of degraded pastures with the potential to capture 60 million tons of CO2 over the course of the project.

A study by FGV points to the injection of US$ 40 billion into the Brazilian economy, with the generation of up to 85 thousand jobs throughout the chain.

Brazil Iron invests billions in iron decarbonization

Brazil Iron’s Green Iron Project foresees an investment of US$ 5.7 billion and points to a change in the profile of mining in Bahia.

The initiative focuses on the production of HBI (hot briquetted iron) and high-grade pellets, which are inputs increasingly demanded by the global steel industry in the face of pressure for decarbonization.

Scheduled to start operating in 2026, the project was structured to operate exclusively with clean energy sources, which can reduce the carbon footprint by up to 99%.

The proposal is to transform the ore extracted in the state into products with higher added value, in line with the advance of the so-called low-emission steel.

In addition to the industrial aspect, the Green Iron should have a direct impact on the regional economy, with the generation of jobs and investments in infrastructure.

The project reinforces a growing trend in the mining sector: the combination of technological innovation, competitiveness and increasingly stringent environmental criteria.

Lhoist continues with strategy that reduced emissions by 25%

From the mining sector, Lhoist, a producer of lime and minerals, has adopted practices aimed at environmental preservation and the reduction of carbon emissions, two fundamental pillars for the future of mining in the state and in the country.

With units in Minas Gerais, Goiás, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Norte, the company has stood out for its efficiency in the use of natural resources and its commitment to the transition to a low-carbon economy.

• From 2018 to now, Lhoist has already achieved a reduction of more than 25% in CO2 emissions.
• In addition to advances in decarbonization, the company seeks 98% utilization in the processing stages.

Solar Coca-Cola transforms waste into energy

Solar Coca-Cola, one of the largest manufacturers in the country, operates with 100% renewable energy certified by the International Renewable Energy Certificate (i-RECs) in its 13 factories.

In Pará, the use of açaí seeds in boilers has transformed, since 2021, more than 10 thousand tons of waste into clean energy, with 2.04 million kilos in 2024 alone.

The initiative contributes to solving the problem of irregular disposal of this environmental liability in Belém and fosters the local bioeconomy by acquiring the input from regional suppliers.

• In its waste management, Solar has reached the milestone of 100% of its units certified by the Zero Waste Institute, ensuring that no waste reaches landfills.
• Complementing the strategy, the logistics modernization includes gas-powered trucks and electric equipment.

Mineração Morro do Ipê invests in ore that results in less CO2 emissions

Classified as “green ore”, high-purity iron ore (pellet feed) requires lower energy consumption. This makes it a strategic input for the energy transition of the mining sector.

Following the decarbonization agenda based on this fact, Mineração Morro do Ipê, with operations in Minas Gerais, expanded its operations from the production of pellet feed at the Tico-Tico Mine, located in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte.

• With an iron content of 66% and a low level of contaminants, the material meets the growing global demand for inputs capable of reducing carbon intensity in steel production.
• In 2025, the company produced 2.7 million tons of pellet feed, the result of a processing with lower emissions generation and a product that requires less energy in the subsequent steel stages.

Source: Clean Energy Day: 5 examples of initiatives that reduce CO2 emissions | Investigations