Acelen Acender celebrates its third anniversary with 768 beneficiaries and reinforces its commitment to surrounding communities

As the only social program run by a refinery in Brazil, Acelen Acender has already received more than R$6 million in investments and has provided more than 2,100 hours of instruction through its training programs

The Mataripe Refinery is the only refinery in Brazil that operates a private social program focused on training, socio-productive inclusion, and strengthening the surrounding communities. This is the hallmark of Acelen Acender, which is celebrating its third anniversary in 2026 and has established itself as one of Acelen’s primary channels for social engagement with the municipalities neighboring the refinery—and as an expression of the company’s commitment to the development of the communities where it operates.

Established on August 3, 2023 in partnership with the Banco do Brasil Foundation and AVSI Brasil and now fully managed by Acelen, the space began as a community extension of the Acelen Center of Excellence in Education (Acender), which has been operating since 2022 within the Mataripe Refinery in São Francisco do Conde (BA) with a focus on employee training and development.

Located in Candeias (BA), Acelen Acender brings together initiatives aimed at professional training, strengthening civil society organizations, and regional development. The initiative is structured around three programs: Jornada Jovem Acelen, which prepares young people for the transition from school to the workforce through courses such as Jornada Jovem and Jovens Conectados (Youth Journey and Connected Youth); Acelera OSC, which strengthens local social organizations through training, mentoring, technical assistance, and project development support, including initiatives such as Acelera Pesca and Mentoria Acelen Incentiva; and Rede de Valor, which fosters local entrepreneurship and corporate volunteering.

In 2026, the portfolio was expanded to include Oficinas Acelen Acender, workshops covering such topics as Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Social Project Development. Together, these initiatives have already directly benefited 768 people, including young people, fishermen, shellfish gatherers, and representatives of civil society organizations, such as 21-year-old Adriel dos Santos, who participated in Jornada Jovem in 2024. “I was welcomed by everyone in the course. They reached out to me and gave me a new perspective on the job market and on how to conduct myself in a job interview. I thought it would just be another course, but Jornada Jovem helped me grow both professionally and personally,” she says.

This sense of growth and professional development is shared by Elisângela Alves, 48, president of the Tamararí Quilombola Association, who participated in the 2025 edition of Acelera OSC. “It was our first experience with Acelen, and I can say it was very beneficial for our association. We had a great exchange of knowledge, which helped improve our work. It also gave us visibility and brought positive results for our community,” she says.

Over the past three years, Acelen has allocated more than R$6 million to Acelen Acender. In early 2026 alone, the program has already offered more than 150 hours of classes. Across all programs, more than 2,100 hours of classes have been taught. “Acelen Acender has shown how collaboration among companies, civil society organizations, and communities expands opportunities for people. Combined with the strengthening of local capacities, education creates the conditions for each person to realize their potential and contribute to the growth of their communities. It is this vision that guides AVSI Brazil’s work and is also present in this initiative,” notes Fabrizio Pellicelli, president of AVSI Brazil.

Relevance recognized by communities

Beyond the numbers, Acelen Acender has established itself as a benchmark in the areas where Acelen operates. A survey conducted in 2025 with 51 community leaders from the Community Advisory Boards showed that 96% of respondents consider Acelen Acender “important” or “very important.” Furthermore, the data indicated that 90% approve of the company’s relationship with the communities, a result that reinforces the positive perception of the project among the surrounding population.

“Acelen is the only refinery in the country with a center like this, and that’s no coincidence: it reflects a regional development strategy that we’ve placed at the heart of our operations. Acelen Acender is now a symbol of how we’ve managed to combine energy transition and social transformation within the same region,” says Marcelo Lyra, Acelen’s vice president of Institutional Relations, Communications, ESG, and Regional Development.

For João Raful, Acelen’s vice president of Human Resources and Social Responsibility, the space represents a commitment to investing in education to create real opportunities. “Over the past three years, we have moved forward with new programs, always listening to the communities’ needs through our Community Advisory Councils. The approval and trust ratings prove that the local population sees Acelen Acender as a project that transforms lives. More than just technical training, we provide autonomy, a sense of agency, and new perspectives for the future.”