ACABIO, Argentina’s leading cooperative bioethanol producer, has achieved ISCC sustainability certification, enabling access to demanding international markets including the European Union. Strategic domestic policy support and operational expansion position the Villa María bioraffinery to increase bioethanol supply while diversifying product streams and reducing emissions over 73% compared to fossil fuels.
Located in Córdoba province, ACABIO operates the country’s largest maize-based bioethanol plant with an annual capacity of 290,000 cubic meters. Originating from over 60 cooperatives and involving maize from more than 600 local farming communities, the operation exemplifies large-scale cooperative integration in Argentina’s bioeconomy. The plant not only produces bioethanol primarily destined for the mandatory 12% blending in gasoline but also generates coproducts including 390,000 tons of wet distillers grains used as high-nutrition animal feed and approximately 55,000 tons of dried distillers grains (DDGS) that support regional livestock industries. Additionally, ACABIO produces 50,000 tons of high-purity CO2 in partnership with a local gas company, serving diversified industrial applications such as beverages and emerging lithium extraction. Another significant byproduct is 8,300 cubic meters per year of maize technical oil aimed at sustainable aviation fuels and renewable diesel production.
The plant’s integrated biorefinery process includes dry milling, fermentation, distillation, dehydration, and cogeneration, enabling energy self-sufficiency that covers around 90% of its demand. Environmental management prioritizes zero liquid effluents from the core bioethanol processes and recycles service effluents for agricultural irrigation, coupled with the reuse of biofertilizers produced via associated biogas facilities, reinforcing a circular economy model.
Facing a plateaued domestic ethanol blend mandate, ACABIO’s ISCC certification—aligned with the EU RED III directive—opens avenues for increased exports by verifying sustainable supply chain, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adhering to social and environmental safeguards. Concurrently, provincial government incentives, including twelve-year tax exemptions on income, property, and stamp taxes, support ongoing capital investment and operational scaling. Regulatory reforms permitting up to 15% ethanol blending in gasoline may further stimulate local demand. ACABIO’s integrated sustainable biofuel production thus strengthens Argentina’s bioeconomy, responding to both global decarbonization trends and domestic energy transitions.
