By Brazil Stock Guide – Petrobras (PETR4 BZ, PBR US) said it will invest 37 billion reais ($6.6 billion) in São Paulo state through 2030, expanding refining capacity, biofuel production, logistics infrastructure and low-carbon energy projects.
The announcement was made on Monday (18), during President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s visit to the Paulínia Refinery, known as Replan, according to Petrobras. The company said the investment package is expected to create about 38,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Of the total amount, 6 billion reais will be allocated to Replan, Petrobras’s largest refinery. The unit supplies more than 30% of Brazil’s territory and, based on annual revenue, represents about 1% of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the company.
“São Paulo’s refineries are responsible for 50% of Petrobras’s output of oil products, and four cities in the state are among the 10 largest recipients of Petrobras tax payments, precisely those that host our refineries. All of this creates jobs and income directly and indirectly,” Petrobras Chief Executive Officer Magda Chambriard said.
Petrobras plans to increase Replan’s processing capacity to 459,000 barrels a day from 434,000 barrels a day, a gain of about 5%. The expansion is scheduled for completion in 2027.
The company also said it has completed a diesel hydrotreater at Replan. The unit began operating in 2025 after receiving 2.1 billion reais in investment and increased Brazil’s domestic production of S-10 diesel by 10%, helping reduce the country’s reliance on imports of the fuel.
Petrobras said another hydrotreater at Replan will be adapted to produce sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, through the co-processing of waste and animal and vegetable oils. The unit is expected to start operating by the end of this year.
The company also plans to build, after 2030, a dedicated alcohol-to-jet plant to produce SAF using ethanol as feedstock. A solar power plant is also planned at Replan to supply clean electricity for refinery consumption, with operations expected to start in December 2026.
The investment plan also includes a SAF and renewable diesel unit at the Presidente Bernardes Refinery in Cubatão, scheduled to start operating by 2030. At the Revap refinery in São José dos Campos, Petrobras said an expanded diesel hydrotreater is already operating and helping increase S-10 diesel output.
At the Recap refinery in Mauá, Petrobras plans to expand the capacity of a residual fluid catalytic cracking unit, enabling more efficient use of pre-salt oils. The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
In logistics, Petrobras plans to build the OBAPI pipeline between Barueri and Pilões. The pipeline will cross 13 municipalities in São Paulo and is designed to strengthen oil-products transport while reducing socio-environmental risks.
The plan also includes a new pier at the Santos Waterway Terminal and storage capacity for B24 bunker fuel, aimed at improving port logistics, increasing oil-products handling capacity and raising efficiency in Brazil’s domestic fuel supply.
In the Santos Basin, Petrobras said funds will be directed to complementary and exploratory wells as well as operational maintenance. The main fields expected to receive investment are Sapinhoá, Mexilhão and Aram.
During the event, Petrobras also signed a sponsorship agreement with the Football Museum in São Paulo through Brazil’s federal culture incentive law, known as the Rouanet Law. The company said the sponsorship, carried out with the federal government, will support expanded cultural and educational activities at the museum.
As part of preparations for the Women’s World Cup, which Brazil will host in 2027, Petrobras said a traveling exhibition will visit four Brazilian cities in the first half of next year.
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