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EcoCeres has entered into a partnership with AstraZeneca to supply hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for use at the pharmaceutical company's medicines manufacturing facility in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The agreement marks the first deployment of HVO in China's pharmaceutical sector.
The renewable fuel, certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) scheme, is produced from used cooking oil. It will power backup generators at the Wuxi site, replacing conventional fossil-based diesel and supporting the facility's decarbonisation without compromising the reliability required for critical medicines manufacturing.
The collaboration demonstrates how certified renewable fuels can deliver a practical decarbonisation pathway for energy-intensive industrial operations.
Matti Lievonen, CEO of EcoCeres, said: 'We are proud to partner with AstraZeneca on this pioneering project, which demonstrates the versatility and scalability of HVO as a drop-in renewable fuel solution. This collaboration not only highlights the role of advanced biofuels in decarbonising power generation but also sets a new benchmark for sustainable operations in China's pharmaceutical industry.'
Ewa Maqdosi, vice-president of AstraZeneca's Wuxi manufacturing site, added: 'We are pleased to collaborate with EcoCeres to advance innovative solutions that support more sustainable and resilient operations. By integrating renewable fuels into our operations, we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining the operational resilience that is essential to our manufacturing activities. This initiative reflects our commitment to delivering on AstraZeneca's Ambition Zero Carbon strategy and goal to reduce our Scopes 1 and 2 emissions across the Company by 98% by the end of 2026.'
The partnership aligns with EcoCeres' broader push to expand practical, scalable renewable fuel solutions across China's industrial sector, while supporting AstraZeneca's ongoing efforts to cut emissions through innovative energy and decarbonisation initiatives.
Source: Biofuels International Magazine