Cardano Foundation, Petrobras Build Blockchain System for SAF Claims
The platform tokenizes sustainable aviation fuel attributes on Cardano for verification, transfer and retirement after Petrobras began delivering Brazilian-produced SAF.
Cardano Foundation and Petrobras are developing a blockchain system that tokenizes sustainable aviation fuel attributes, creating transferable records for environmental claims as Brazil’s SAF market develops.
The project, conducted with PUC-Rio University’s Ledger Labs, represents each SAF attribute as a standardized token on the Cardano blockchain. The tokens carry metadata aligned with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, or CORSIA, and can be minted, transferred, consulted and retired.
The system uses a “Book-and-Claim” model, which separates environmental attributes from the physical fuel. Airlines or passenger journeys can receive tokens based on emissions calculations, while passengers can claim tokens through a dedicated app and receive an offset certificate.
“The energy transition will depend as much on trust as it does on new fuels,” Rafael Fraga, LATAM business development lead at Cardano Foundation, said.
“Public blockchain gives us the opportunity to make that trust part of the system by design, providing industries with a shared, verifiable foundation for the next generation of energy markets,” Fraga said.
Petrobras began delivering Brazilian-produced SAF on Dec. 5, 2025, supplying 3,000 cubic meters to aviation-fuel distributors operating at Rio de Janeiro’s Tom Jobim International Airport. The volume was equivalent to about one day of demand at Rio de Janeiro airports.
Petrobras produces the fuel through co-processing at its Duque de Caxias Refinery. The fuel can be used without changes to aircraft or fueling infrastructure and has ISCC-CORSIA sustainability certification. Its renewable portion can reduce net carbon-dioxide emissions by up to 87%, depending on the approved feedstock.
“The SAF, produced by co-processing at our refining system, is a solution that contributes to the fulfillment of the decarbonization goals of the aviation sector,” Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard said.
Cardano Foundation and PUC-Rio announced their collaboration on April 15, 2025, with an initial focus on blockchain applications for renewable-energy fuels. The Cardano Foundation and Petrobras began working together through a blockchain education program announced Dec. 20, 2023, which was made available to more than 40,000 Petrobras employees.
