Ferbasa lands R$43.8M BNDES loan to build green metals plant
What's the deal? FerbasaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Brazil's largest ferroalloy producer, signed a R$43.8 million ($8 million) loan agreement with the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → on July 7, 2026. The state-owned bank led the financing, which will fund a new bioreductant production plant in Maracás, Bahia.
What's the endgame? The plant will produce bioreductants — a plant-derived material that replaces mineral coal in metallurgy. Designed for an annual capacity of 20,000 tons, its output will supply Ferbasa's metallurgical plant in Pojuca, Bahia, cutting the company's reliance on fossil fuels.
Why now? The BNDES loan covers up to 98% of the R$44.4 million project. About R$35 million comes from the "Green Industry" line under Brazil's Climate Fund, at a fixed 7.88% annual rate over 120 months, including a 24-month grace period.
What's the context? Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Salvador, Ferbasa is the only integrated ferrochrome producer in the Americas, with annual revenue above $350 million. The new plant sits beside its 5,378-hectare planted forest and is expected to be completed by December 2026, creating 97 direct and indirect jobs.
What could go wrong? Ferbasa is carrying nearly the full project cost as debt, with repayment stretching to 2036. Construction began in mid-2026, and the plant's contribution depends on meeting its year-end completion target.
The signal: The deal ties development finance to industrial decarbonisation. "Supporting the production of charcoal with lower methane emissions is an important measure to help decarbonize the Brazilian steel industry," said BNDES president Aloizio Mercadante, framing the loan as part of a broader push to green heavy industry.
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