How Sugarcane Ethanol Contributes to a Cleaner World

Over the past three decades, the Brazilian sugarcane industry has experienced major and continuous technological improvement. Today, sugarcane is the basic input for an extraordinarily diverse range of value-added products including food, animal feed, chemicals, biofuels and electricity coming from modern, integrated biorefineries that produce sugar, ethanol, bioelectricity and bioplastics in Brazil.

Gasoline is now the alternative fuel in Brazil, as the country has replaced more than 50% of its energy needs with ethanol. Compared to conventional gasoline, sugarcane ethanol cuts greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90%, a reduction unmatched by any other biofuel produced with existing technology and comparable to what is expected from second-generation biofuels when they become commercially available. Sugarcane grown for ethanol production occupies little more than 1% of Brazil’s arable land and captures more carbon when compared to most other crops, because it is a unique semi-perennial crop that only needs to be replanted every six years.

Thanks to Brazil’s innovative use of ethanol in transportation and biomass for power cogeneration, sugarcane is now the number one source of renewable energy in Brazil, representing 16% of the country’s total energy needs. With help from innovative companies here in the United States, the cane industry is expanding existing production of renewable plastics and will soon be offering bio-based hydrocarbons that can replace carbon-intensive fossil fuels.

Beyond these positive contributions lies the fact that currently more than 100 countries grow sugarcane and most could produce and use ethanol, repeating Brazil’s successful experience. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, only 10% of the world’s 200 million hectares that are available and suitable for sugarcane production are actually used today. Most sugarcane-producing countries are tropical, developing countries that would benefit tremendously from an opportunity for significant economic and sustainable development.

The production and use of cane ethanol creates jobs, fosters technological development, allows for the introduction of cheap renewable electricity in rural areas, cuts down on oil imports, and provides new export opportunities. Diversified biofuels production also enhances energy security by reducing reliance on a handful of oil-producing countries, often located in unstable regions of the world.

For more information on sugarcane ethanol visit UNICA’s booth (1507), or online at: english.unica.com.br.