Corn ethanol production grows in Brazil

Five years on from the launch of a project to build Brazil’s first ethanol plant based on 100% corn, growing production of the cereal in the country (close to 100 thousand tons) is making this investment more and more attractive.

According to the executive director of the industry pioneer FS Bioenergia, Rafael Abud, the company is pleased with the prospects of this first factory, which is showing excellent results. The company is backed by Brazil’s Tapajós Participações SA and the United States’ Summit Agricultural Group.

Over five years, the group has already doubled the capacity of its initial plant, built a second unit and plans to invest in another three, as Brazilian farmers increase corn production.

Growing Market

In addition to FS Bioenergy, two other companies are building 100% ethanol-based corn plants in the country. Others are opting to revamp existing mills to operate corn in the cane’s between-harvest periods. These are called flex ethanol plants.

Mato Grosso will host the five FS Bioenergia plants; corn production in the state has increased 275% in the last ten years, mainly due to farmers’ practice of planting a second crop (usually corn) after harvesting the main summer crop (usually soybeans).

Impasa, a company currently operating two corn ethanol plants in Paraguay, will open a unit in Brazil later this year.

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