Brazil is expecting more sugarcane and more ethanol production in 2012. According to the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), the forecast for the 2012/2013 sugarcane harvest calls for 509 million tons, up 3.19% compared to the total amount of sugarcane processed in the previous harvest, which totalled 493.26 million tons. Data collected by UNICA, together with satellite image mapping of …
Rabobank Studies Future of Ethanol for Brazil and U.S.
A report from Rabobank’s global Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory department is looking at the future of ethanol from the perspectives of both Brazilian and United States markets. Rabobank first points out significant changes in U.S. ethanol policy starting in 2012. The VEETC blending credit and a tax on ethanol imports both expired in December 2011 and U.S. ethanol …
Brazil to Invest $38 Billion in Pumping Up Ethanol
Brazil is reportedly planning to pump $38 billion into its ethanol sector to help increase production. A statement from Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture said the purpose of the government plan is to “meet growing national demand and the potential of the foreign market for ethanol” by stimulating private sector investments in the production of ethanol, which have declined due to …
Brazil Ethanol Sales Down
A lower percentage of ethanol required to be blended with gasoline in Brazil is resulting in lower ethanol sales, according to the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA). UNICA reports that ethanol sales by mills in the South-Central region totaled 1.29 billion liters in January, a drop of 32.32% compared to the 1.90 billion liters sold during the same period in …
Sao Paulo Ethanol Import Tax Could Violate GATT
*Updated with clarification comments from UNICA* The president of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) this week wrote a letter to the U.S. Trade Ambassador asking for an investigation into news that the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo was imposing a 25% tax on all imported ethanol. “Because ethanol produced in Sao Paulo is tax exempt, ethanol imported into Sao Paulo …
Researchers Find More Pollution from Sugarcane Ethanol
University researchers from California, Iowa and Chile have found that sugarcane ethanol production creates up to seven times more air pollutants than previously estimated, according to news from the University of Iowa. The research team used agricultural survey data from Brazil to calculate emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases from the entire production, distribution, and lifecycle of sugarcane ethanol …
Doing the Ethanol Shuffle
There’s a hot new craze called the “Ethanol Shuffle” that’s sweeping seaports from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles. No, it’s not a new dance, this shuffle is all about the “confounded realignment of the global ethanol trade.” Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper wrote about the “Ethanol Shuffle” this week on the RFA E-xchange …
US and Brazil Spar Over Ethanol Trade Policy
Brazilian and U.S. ethanol interests are challenging each other over ethanol trade policy. The U.S./Brazil Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote a joint letter to Congress last week asking that the U.S. secondary tariff on imported ethanol be allowed to expire as scheduled at the end of the year, together with the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). …
Ethanol Supporting Former Brazilian President Honored for Hunger Efforts
A strong supporter of ethanol was honored this week for his efforts to fight hunger and poverty in Brazil. Former Brazilian President Lula da Silva was recognized with the 2011 World Food Prize for his Zero Hunger strategy, which resulted in Brazil reducing by half its proportion of hungry people (with 93 percent of children and 82 percent of adults …
Joint Deal to Improve First Generation Ethanol
Two companies have signed a joint agreement to develop an improved first generation ethanol process with enhanced performance economics. The agreement between Codexis and Raizen Energia S.A. announced today focuses on a range of targets, including improving performance of yeasts now used in ethanol production. Codexis is an industrial biotechnology company and Raizen is Brazil’s largest sugar and ethanol producer. …