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– Accelerating toward the first unit ordered overseas –
YOKOHAMA, Japan, April 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tsubame BHB Co., Ltd. ("Tsubame BHB"), which is aiming for the social implementation and commercialization of distributed ammonia manufacturing plants, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with ATVOS AGROINDUSTRIAL PARTICIPAÇÕES S.A in Brazil ("Atvos"), one of the leading biofuels companies in Brazil regarding a green aqueous ammonia factory in Mineiros (GO), where Atvos's Morro Vermelho Unit (UMV) is located, responsible for ethanol production.
The new plant will have an installed capacity of 20,000 tons of the product. It will be used to replace fossil-based fertilizers applied to agricultural areas at both UMV and the Alto Taquari Unit (UAT), located in the homonymous municipality in Mato Grosso. With this solution, Atvos estimates it will avoid the emission of approximately 11 thousand tons of CO2 per year, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.
The execution of this LOI was witnessed by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, at the Japan-Brazil Economic Forum held in Tokyo on March 26, 2025. On 28th March, Mr. Caio Dafico, Investment and Business Development VP at Atvos, visited Tsubame BHB for a tour of the pilot plant, and to conduct discussions on future directions for the project.
Tsubame BHB will further accelerate its efforts to secure this first order for an overseas unit, and to rapidly promote overseas deployment.
Comment from Atvos CEO Bruno Serapião
As one of the largest biofuels producers in Brazil with the purpose to lead the energy transition to move the world and transform lives, Atvos seeks to contribute to the decarbonization of the globe's leading economies while also reducing the carbon footprint of its own operations. Thus, the partnership with Tsubame to produce green ammonia represents a significant step toward achieving this goal, as it will enable us to reduce the use of fossil-based nitrogen fertilizers and further strengthen our commitment to fostering the social and economic development of the countryside cities where we are located through job and income generation.
Comment from Tsubame BHB CEO Koji Nakamura
Brazil has great potential to become a major producer of green hydrogen, by leveraging its abundant renewable energy resources, and it is also a major agricultural nation that consumes nitrogen-based fertilizers in high volumes. As such, I believe that it is one of the countries that can manufacture green ammonia as a fertilizer at the small distributed ammonia synthesis plants offered by Tsubame BHB. I consider it a great honor to be able to collaborate with a major Brazilian bioethanol manufacturing company like Atvos, and I hope that through this collaboration, we can contribute to the decarbonization of agriculture in Brazil.
About Atvos
Atvos is one of Brazil's leading biofuel companies and produces Sugarcane Ethanol, Very High Polarity (VHP) sugar, plus sustainable electricity using sugarcane biomass. From this raw material, the company has the capacity to produce around 3.3 billion liters of ethanol, which can power 60 million compact cars, plus 750,000 tones of VHP sugar, and cogenerate approximately 4,200 GWh of electricity from biomass - enough to supply a population of more than 20 million people. Atvos has around 11,000 employees in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo, democratizing economic development in the countryside of Brazil where its eight agro-industrial units are located.
As a major player in the generation of clean and renewable energy, the company is one of the main national issuers of Decarbonization Credits (CBIOs), having renewed the RenovaBio certification of all its agro-industrial operations. Through Social Energy, another Atvos program, it supports projects focused on issues including education, culture, health, safety, the environment, and production activities. The initiative aims to foster socio-economic development and improve the quality of life in communities where the company operates. For more information, please visit https://atvos.com/.
About Tsubame BHB (https://tsubame-bhb.co.jp/)
Tsubame BHB is a deep tech company with a Vision of "Leveraging original technologies to resolve critical issues faced by humans in relation to food and the environment, and achieving a sustainable society." Its goal is to contribute to the on-site production of ammonia at distributed plants, using technologies that synthesize ammonia at low pressures and low temperatures. Established in 2017, the Company uses electride catalyst technologies developed by Professor Emeritus Hosono from the Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly the Tokyo Institute of Technology). It currently focuses its efforts on the overseas deployment of these technologies, mainly in North and South America, Australia, and Africa.
Company overview
Name: Tsubame BHB Co., Ltd.
Representative Director and CEO: Koji Nakamura
URL: https://tsubame-bhb.co.jp/
Head office: 2-3-12 Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Pref.
Shin-Yokohama Square Building, 6F
Established: April 2017
Outline of business:
- R&D, sales, and facilities maintenance related to on-site ammonia supply systems
- R&D, manufacturing, and sales involving synthetic ammonia catalysts
- Manufacturing and sales of ammonia and ammonia-related products
– Accelerating toward the first unit ordered overseas –
YOKOHAMA, Japan, April 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tsubame BHB Co., Ltd. ("Tsubame BHB"), which is aiming for the social implementation and commercialization of distributed ammonia manufacturing plants, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with ATVOS AGROINDUSTRIAL PARTICIPAÇÕES S.A in Brazil ("Atvos"), one of the leading biofuels companies in Brazil regarding a green aqueous ammonia factory in Mineiros (GO), where Atvos's Morro Vermelho Unit (UMV) is located, responsible for ethanol production.
The new plant will have an installed capacity of 20,000 tons of the product. It will be used to replace fossil-based fertilizers applied to agricultural areas at both UMV and the Alto Taquari Unit (UAT), located in the homonymous municipality in Mato Grosso. With this solution, Atvos estimates it will avoid the emission of approximately 11 thousand tons of CO2 per year, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.
The execution of this LOI was witnessed by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, at the Japan-Brazil Economic Forum held in Tokyo on March 26, 2025. On 28th March, Mr. Caio Dafico, Investment and Business Development VP at Atvos, visited Tsubame BHB for a tour of the pilot plant, and to conduct discussions on future directions for the project.
Tsubame BHB will further accelerate its efforts to secure this first order for an overseas unit, and to rapidly promote overseas deployment.
Comment from Atvos CEO Bruno Serapião
As one of the largest biofuels producers in Brazil with the purpose to lead the energy transition to move the world and transform lives, Atvos seeks to contribute to the decarbonization of the globe's leading economies while also reducing the carbon footprint of its own operations. Thus, the partnership with Tsubame to produce green ammonia represents a significant step toward achieving this goal, as it will enable us to reduce the use of fossil-based nitrogen fertilizers and further strengthen our commitment to fostering the social and economic development of the countryside cities where we are located through job and income generation.
Comment from Tsubame BHB CEO Koji Nakamura
Brazil has great potential to become a major producer of green hydrogen, by leveraging its abundant renewable energy resources, and it is also a major agricultural nation that consumes nitrogen-based fertilizers in high volumes. As such, I believe that it is one of the countries that can manufacture green ammonia as a fertilizer at the small distributed ammonia synthesis plants offered by Tsubame BHB. I consider it a great honor to be able to collaborate with a major Brazilian bioethanol manufacturing company like Atvos, and I hope that through this collaboration, we can contribute to the decarbonization of agriculture in Brazil.
About Atvos
Atvos is one of Brazil's leading biofuel companies and produces Sugarcane Ethanol, Very High Polarity (VHP) sugar, plus sustainable electricity using sugarcane biomass. From this raw material, the company has the capacity to produce around 3.3 billion liters of ethanol, which can power 60 million compact cars, plus 750,000 tones of VHP sugar, and cogenerate approximately 4,200 GWh of electricity from biomass - enough to supply a population of more than 20 million people. Atvos has around 11,000 employees in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo, democratizing economic development in the countryside of Brazil where its eight agro-industrial units are located.
As a major player in the generation of clean and renewable energy, the company is one of the main national issuers of Decarbonization Credits (CBIOs), having renewed the RenovaBio certification of all its agro-industrial operations. Through Social Energy, another Atvos program, it supports projects focused on issues including education, culture, health, safety, the environment, and production activities. The initiative aims to foster socio-economic development and improve the quality of life in communities where the company operates. For more information, please visit https://atvos.com/.
About Tsubame BHB (https://tsubame-bhb.co.jp/)
Tsubame BHB is a deep tech company with a Vision of "Leveraging original technologies to resolve critical issues faced by humans in relation to food and the environment, and achieving a sustainable society." Its goal is to contribute to the on-site production of ammonia at distributed plants, using technologies that synthesize ammonia at low pressures and low temperatures. Established in 2017, the Company uses electride catalyst technologies developed by Professor Emeritus Hosono from the Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly the Tokyo Institute of Technology). It currently focuses its efforts on the overseas deployment of these technologies, mainly in North and South America, Australia, and Africa.
Company overview
Name: Tsubame BHB Co., Ltd.
Representative Director and CEO: Koji Nakamura
URL: https://tsubame-bhb.co.jp/
Head office: 2-3-12 Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Pref.
Shin-Yokohama Square Building, 6F
Established: April 2017
Outline of business:
- R&D, sales, and facilities maintenance related to on-site ammonia supply systems
- R&D, manufacturing, and sales involving synthetic ammonia catalysts
- Manufacturing and sales of ammonia and ammonia-related products
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Tsubame BHB signs LOI with Brazilian Company on Green Ammonia Manufacturing Facilities Project
Transaction Enhances MRO Scale, AOG Readiness, and Lubricants Market Leadership
ARLINGTON, Texas, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- GracoRoberts (gracoroberts.com) today announced the acquisition of Sky Mart (skymart.aero) to advance its international footprint in Latin America, leveraging the company's corporate headquarters in Miami as a gateway to the aerospace-rich Latin American region. The acquisition significantly bolsters GracoRoberts' reach into the $6.5B Latin American MRO market, scales its AOG capability, and offers its customers access to a considerable breadth of in-stock lubricants, amplifying the acquirer's already sound position as the largest, fastest, and most technically focused aerospace specialty chemicals distributor in the world.
The addition of Sky Mart to the GracoRoberts' portfolio expands its technical sales coverage throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Florida, and portions of the US, while adding an additional 42,000 square feet of fulfillment centers in Miami, FL, San Antonio, TX, and Indianapolis, IN, and offering a rich stocking position for oils, greases, and fluids. Additionally, Sky Mart customers will benefit from access to GracoRoberts' extensive breadth of adhesives, composites, paints and coatings, a robust ecommerce presence for immediate product access, and a global technical sales team. These enhancements, coupled with a mutual focus on world-class quality, will add meaningful value to both companies' customer and supplier partners.
Jason Caldwell, President and CEO of GracoRoberts, commented on the acquisition. "We are thrilled to welcome the team from Sky Mart to the GracoRoberts' family of companies. This partnership strengthens our ability to serve the global aerospace community, especially in the important Latin America and Miami markets, with an enhanced stocking position, broader product offerings, and a scalable bolt-on ecommerce presence and AOG platform for an industry that requires speed and dependability."
Juan Gregorio Robbin, Co-Founder and President of Sky Mart, also commented on the integration, and the decision to partner with GracoRoberts after four decades of family-owned operation. "At Sky Mart, our operating philosophy is simple and unwavering: stock the right products, deliver exceptional service, and get it right the first time. This guiding principle has earned us the trust of a loyal Latin and North American customer base, and by joining the GracoRoberts' family, we can deliver even more value to our customers."
Ana Maria Robbin, Co-Owner and Executive Vice President of Sky Mart, offered her perspective on the acquisition. "2025 marked Sky Mart's 40th year in a business founded by our parents – our heroes – Gregorio and Lucy Robbin. They raised us to believe in the power of a vision, endless determination, and a deep spirit of service that defines our culture today, and I see these qualities in the team at GracoRoberts. I know the Sky Mart legacy will be upheld with care and purpose."
The leaders of both companies will collaborate to deliver a seamless, customer-focused transition that preserves each organization's culture and ensures no disruption to the business.
The acquisition of Sky Mart is supported by CM Equity Partners, the private equity sponsor of GracoRoberts and long-standing partner to its Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Under the leadership of President and CEO Jason Caldwell, the GracoRoberts ELT has significantly expanded the company's global footprint and accelerated its digital growth strategy through six acquisitions over the past seven years – E.V. Roberts, Able Aerospace Adhesives, Silmid, SkyGeek, Pacific Coast Composites, and now Sky Mart – each enhancing value for its enterprise partners and the broader aerospace industry.
About GracoRoberts
Headquartered in Arlington, TX, GracoRoberts (www.gracoroberts.com) is the single largest, fastest, and most technically focused specialty chemicals distributor to serve the global aerospace market and is fully AS, ISO, and CMMC II certified. We serve the aerospace OEM, MRO, and defense segments, composites, electronics, and other advanced manufacturing industries. As a family of brands including Silmid, SkyGeek, and Pacific Coast Composites, we are authorized to distribute 3M, Airtech, Aeroshell, AkzoNobel, Eastman, Henkel, Hexcel, Huntsman, Isovolta, Momentive, PPG, Resin Formulators, Royco, Scott Bader, Sika, American Fiber & Finishing, Armite Lubricants, Arrow Solutions, B&J Rubber Products, Castrol, Chemetall, Contec, Deb Stoko, ITW Performance Polymers, Mask-Off, Master Fluid Solutions, Permabond, Reabrook Ltd, Rocol, Royal Adhesives, Socomore, and Zip-Chem, and can source thousands of other providers upon request. We differentiate by adding value: services include world-class ecommerce available through three websites (www.skygeek.com, www.silmid.com, and www.gracoroberts.com), global distribution, custom formulation, specialty packaging, vendor managed inventory, intermix and kitting services, defense logistics and compliance, export management services, and an on-staff Chemist, lab, and testing facility. GracoRoberts prides itself in delivering superior engineered materials with impeccable support to thousands of customers from more than 65 countries around the globe.
About Sky Mart
Headquartered in Miami, FL and founded in 1985 by Gregorio and Lucy Robbin with Co-Founder and President Juan Gregorio Robbin, Sky Mart (www.skymart.aero) has grown into an industry leading and well-recognized aerospace chemical, lubricant and specialty fluids stocking distributor. Sky Mart is now a second-generation Robbin family business serving thousands of customers across Latin America and North America. With over 40 years of global distribution experience, the company's philosophy is straight forward: stock the products, quote quickly, and offer fast, accurate, and on-time shipping. Today Sky Mart continues to invest in online and EDI trading platforms, and offers reliable and effective after-hours AOG service for the airline, MRO, and other aviation communities.
About CM Equity Partners
CM Equity Partners (www.cmequity.com), based in New York, NY, provides capital to the Federal services and aerospace and defense industries. For 30 years, CMEP has partnered with management teams to build enduring value by leveraging its industry knowledge, relationships, operating experience, and its corporate finance, M&A, and private equity expertise. CMEP employs an active and collaborative management approach, developing long-term strategic plans and guiding decisions on re-investment of profits to grow and broaden a company's revenue base and capabilities. CMEP's investments are structured with flexibility across a broad spectrum of the capital structure, including equity, structured equity, and mezzanine debt.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
GracoRoberts Acquires Sky Mart to Accelerate Latin American Expansion, Anchored by Miami Hub
