Petroleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) has unveiled plans to construct a biomass unit at its proposed refinery in the state of Ceara, in the north-east of Brazil.

Earlier this month, the state-owned company confirmed that it is to start work on the £5.5 billion refinery within the next few months, with initial analysis revealing that the site will be capable of producing around 300,000 barrels of premium oil a day.

This will then be turned into high-quality diesel fuel for export, Petrobras stated.

Now the company's international biofuels business manager Fernando Cunha has stated that the question of including biomass production with general oil refining.

Furthermore, Mr Cunha also outlined plans for working with international firms to create production and distribution partnerships, though added that talks are still in their early stages.

"Companies from France and Spain have sought us out to study eventual biofuel projects in Europe," he stated.

"To produce (biodiesel), you have to have a network of gasoline stations; you have to form a partnership or purchase a network of gas stations to be a big player in the biofuels market."