The Brazilian group Be8, among the main producers of biodiesel in Latin America, has chosen Milan as a gateway to the European market. The company has opened an Italian branch with the aim of exporting biofuels and sustainable raw materials to the European Union, ushering in a new phase of its international expansion.
With production facilities spread across several states in Brazil and Paraguay, Be8 produces a wide range of biofuels. Among these, the most notable is BeVant, a new generation, bidistilled and additive-enhanced biodiesel, designed to completely replace traditional diesel without requiring modifications to engines or refueling infrastructure. In Brazil, the fuel is already used in numerous industrial applications and even in motorsport competitions. Truck Racing, demonstrating its performance even in the most demanding conditions.
Milan as a European hub
The opening of the Italian office represents much more than a simple commercial presence. As the group’s president explained, Erasmo Carlos Battistella, the goal is to transform Milan into a logistics center for the distribution of Be8 products in Europe, while obtaining all the certifications required by the community market.
The company is already working to obtain both the certification of National Certification System (SNC) both the brand ISCC EU, essential to demonstrate the sustainability of the production chain and access the European biofuels market.
Battistella does not even rule out future production investment in Italy, although a decision to do so will depend on the evolution of European demand in the coming years.
Arrival at a strategic moment
The choice of the Italian market comes at a particularly delicate time for the fuel sector.
At the end of July the average price of self-service diesel fuel was almost 2.18 euros per litre, returning close to the record levels recorded during the energy crisis of March 2022.
To limit the impact of the price increase, the Italian government intervened with the Legislative Decree no. 133 of 27 July 2026, introducing a temporary reduction in excise duties on diesel fuel 17 cents per liter and extending the tax credit for transport companies most affected by the increase in fuel costs.
In this scenario, an economically competitive alternative to fossil diesel could find a particularly receptive market.
BeVant looks at trucks
Be8’s business strategy is clearly oriented towards the heavy transport sector.
According to the company, BeVant can be used as a direct replacement for diesel without affecting existing diesel engines or distribution infrastructure. This feature differentiates it from diesel.HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), compared to which the Brazilian group claims to be able to offer lower production and sales costs.
Italian energy policies also seem to be moving in the same direction.
The National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) It foresees an increasing role for advanced biofuels obtained from used cooking oils and animal fats, especially for sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as heavy-duty road transport.
This is precisely the production model adopted by Be8, which collects and transforms used frying oils, animal fats and other organic residues into low-sulphur biodiesel.
Biodiesel and HVO: There’s no difference in taxation.
One of the most interesting aspects concerns the tax treatment of the product.
In fact, Italian law clarifies that the preferential regime is not reserved exclusively for HVO.
The circular of the Customs and Monopolies Agency, issued in implementation of the Legislative Decree 43/2025 and of the inter-ministerial decree of May 14, 2025, establishes that the principle of “equivalence taxation” applies both to paraffinic gas oils obtained by hydrotreatment (HVO) and to pure biodiesel belonging to the customs category NC 3826 0010, which also includes biodiesel of the type HUNGER like BeVant.
If the fuel is produced exclusively with advanced raw materials listed in Annex IX of the European Directive RED II and meets all the sustainability requirements set by EU legislation, it benefits from the same reduced excise duty:
- 617.40 euros per 1,000 liters, against the 632.40 euros of the ordinary rate.
Furthermore, certified pure biodiesel is eligible for the same excise duty reimbursement system as diesel and HVO used by professional hauliers.
For transport companies, this means that a fuel like BeVant, provided it is accompanied by the required sustainability documentation, can guarantee not only a lower environmental impact but also the same tax benefits recognized for other advanced biofuels.
The challenge of traceability
The decisive element will not be so much the quality of the product as the ability to guarantee its complete traceability.
The Customs Agency itself highlights how the main operational problem concerns the management of tax warehouses, where biofuels with different tax regimes can be moved in the same facilities.
To obtain the tax benefit, it is therefore essential to be able to demonstrate the origin of the raw materials used through sustainability certifications, electronic transport documentation (e-DAS and e-AD), and traceability systems.
For Be8 this represents one of the main steps to overcome in order to establish itself on the European market.
Opportunities and unknowns
For now, the Brazilian group’s Italian presence is limited to sales and logistics. There are no production facilities planned in our country yet, and it remains to be seen how transatlantic shipping costs will impact competitiveness compared to European HVO producers already present on the market.
However, a possible consolidation of the trade agreement between European Union and Mercosur It could promote biofuel trade between Brazil and Europe in the coming years, improving the competitiveness of Brazilian exports.
The launch of Be8 therefore comes at a crucial moment: while the price of diesel is once again at the centre of economic and political debate, the road haulage sector is increasingly looking for solutions capable of reducing emissions without imposing costly fleet renewals.
If BeVant manages to deliver on its promises in terms of cost, sustainability, and ease of use, Brazilian biodiesel could carve out a significant niche on Italian roads as well.