The adoption of renewable energy, waste recovery, and the development of biofuels are strengthening the poultry and pork industry’s contribution to Chile’s energy transition. Progress is seen in milestones such as Maxagro’s commissioning of Latin America’s first bio-LNG plant—a renewable biofuel produced from biogas—and in the carbon-neutral certification of the cold chain, one of the most energy-intensive links in the food industry.
The agri-food sector continues to deepen its contribution to Chile’s energy transition through initiatives that integrate technological innovation, operational efficiency, and a concrete commitment to sustainability. Poultry and pork producers and exporters have driven progress in this area that is now translating into significant results, from energy self-generation and waste recovery to achieving international carbon-neutral certifications.
This process is part of Chile’s energy transition goals, which aim for a 100% clean energy mix by 2050. In line with this goal, the companies represented by ChileCarne have adopted non-conventional renewable energy at virtually all stages of their production process, either through self-generation systems—mainly solar and biomass—or through certified green energy supply contracts with local suppliers.
Hence, clean energy is part of the entire production chain: from the manufacturing of balanced feed, lighting, heating, and water supply on farms, to processing plants, cold storage facilities, water and waste treatment facilities, warehouses, and sales floors.
Biogas, biomass, and energy efficiency in the production chain
One of the key areas is the self-generation of energy from biogas produced by anaerobic digestion of pig slurry. The biogas is used in boilers for heating, in HVAC systems for maternity and nursing pens, to pelletize balanced feed, and to produce electricity, both for self-consumption and for the grid.
These solutions are complemented by other biomass sources for thermal energy generation—used as hot water or steam in processing plants—alongside photovoltaic solar generation projects, including multipurpose parks that serve as solar carports. These efforts are accompanied by technologies to improve energy efficiency and reinforce operational competitiveness and sustainability.
The production of biofuels from biomass, especially from slurry and other organic waste, has become a strategic pillar of the Chilean pig sector’s circular economy model, in which by-products of the production process are transformed into new energy sources. This approach is especially relevant in light of global climate objectives, as alternative fuels play a key role in reducing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy-duty transport.
Maxagro and Latin America’s first bio-LNG plant
Maxagro has established itself as a circular economy leader in the pig sector through the energy recovery of its production waste. This work gave rise to a pioneering project in Latin America: the first bio-LNG plant in the region, developed in partnership with Lipigas, a major gas supplier, to decarbonize heavy-duty transport with renewable gas.
The project recovers biogas generated from the breakdown of Maxagro’s agricultural waste, which undergoes purification and cooling processes to be transformed into bio-LNG, a fuel that is chemically identical to conventional LNG but 100% renewable and compatible with the infrastructure and equipment currently in operation, with no need for adaptations.
“This milestone is proof that when companies come together, the impact on sustainability is real and transformative. We are demonstrating that, when we work in partnership, we can connect industries as different as food and energy to decarbonize transport and move Chile in innovative new directions,” said Felipe Saelzer, general manager of Maxagro.
The plant will have the capacity to feed 270 heavy-duty trucks with 100% renewable, carbon-neutral fuel, equivalent to the daily gas consumption of over 65,000 homes. Its processing capacity ranges between 5,750 and 11,500 cubic meters of biogas per day.
The use of bio-LNG will abate more than 35,500 tons of CO₂ per year in a 270-truck fleet, in addition to significantly reducing emissions of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides, while substantially reducing noise associated with freight transport.
Carbon neutrality in the cold chain
The cold chain is critical for the meat sector, ensuring the preservation, safety, and quality of food products throughout the supply chain. Its continuous operation makes it one of the industry’s most energy-intensive processes and, as such, a strategic pillar for advancing efficiency and emissions reduction, especially for exports.
Multifrigo—a leading operator in refrigerated storage and logistics—plays a key role in Chile’s food and exporting industries. Its integration into the Emergent Cold LatAm network strengthens the cold chain infrastructure that supports the flow of meat and other products to international markets.
Recently, Multifrigo’s El Olivo plant achieved the international certification EDGE Zero Carbon, a standard managed by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), granted to facilities fed with 100% renewable energy that have neutralized the carbon emissions associated with energy consumption, becoming one of the first in the world to obtain this accreditation.
“To achieve the EDGE Zero Carbon certification for the El Olivo plant, we first obtained EDGE Advanced by incorporating efficient monitoring and control systems, replacing lighting fixtures and fittings, using sustainable materials, and installing solar panels. The decisive step was to ensure that 100% of the energy used at the warehouse comes from renewable sources,” explained Cristian Cornejo, business director of Emergent Cold LatAm.
This is the second plant in Chile to receive this recognition. A year earlier, the San Pedro de la Paz warehouse became the first in its segment to obtain the EDGE Zero Carbon certification worldwide. “These improvements translate into concrete results: we achieved a 64% energy saving, a 27% reduction in water consumption, and reduced the embodied carbon in materials by 30%. We now have four EDGE-certified warehouses in Chile, two of them are Zero Carbon,” Cornejo highlighted.
The company plans to build the largest automated, temperature-controlled warehouse in Latin America, advancing its long-term vision of carbon neutrality and energy efficiency in cold chain logistics.
The role of ChileCarne in the sector’s sustainability
For ChileCarne, these advances confirm that the energy transition is already underway in the meat sector. Daniela Álvarez, sustainability manager at ChileCarne, underscores: “The energy recovery from waste, the use of renewable energy in production processes, and national and international certifications are accelerating the contribution of our production chain to Chile’s climate goals. The sector is convinced that we must actively engage in this process and be open to new partnerships to scale up solutions such as biofuels and energy efficiency.”
This commitment is reflected in concrete results. Over the past 20 years, the sector has reduced per capita greenhouse gas emissions per kilo of pork produced by 26%, while total pork production has reduced its emissions by 24%. This progress is the result of adopting more efficient technologies, implementing best production practices, and increasing the use of clean energy under the Chile Conscious Origin Program (ChOC).
