Raízen breaks ground on Iogen cellulosic ethanol facility in Brazil

Iogen Corporation announced that Brazilian ethanol giant Raízen Energia Participações S/A has started construction of a commercial biomass-to-ethanol facility using Iogen Energy’s advanced cellulosic biofuel technology. (Iogen Energy is a joint venture between Raízen and Iogen Corporation. Earlier post.) The $100-million plant, to be located adjacent to Raízen’s Costa Pinto... Read more →


An overview of the direct sugar to hydrocarbon (DSHC) process for the production of renewable jet fuel. Source: Amyris. Click to enlarge. Renewable fuels and chemicals company Amyris, Inc. and GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A., the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, signed a memorandum of understanding that... Read more →


Novozymes and Raízen to collaborate on cellulosic ethanol in Brazil

Novozymes has entered into a collaboration agreement with Brazil’s largest sugarcane crusher, Raízen Energia S/A (the $12-billion joint venture between Shell and Cosan founded in 2011). (Earlier post.) As part of the agreement, Novozymes will supply enzyme technology to Raízen’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Brazil, scheduled to be... Read more →


Anglo-Brazilian JV to launch first commercial bagasse cellulosic ethanol production plant in Brazil

UK-based TMO Renewables (TMO) and Usina Santa Maria Ltda have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture to build the first commercial production plant in Brazil to convert sugar cane waste (bagasse) to cellulosic bioethanol. TMO signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Usina Santa Maria Ltda... Read more →


SG Biofuels signs deals in Brazil to develop Jatropha as an alternative energy crop

SGB, Inc. (SG Biofuels) has signed agreements in Brazil with Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), the country’s leading agricultural research institution, and with Fiagril, one of the country’s leading biodiesel refiners, to advance the development of Jatropha as a next-generation energy crop. SGB’s strategic research partnership with Embrapa will combine... Read more →


Video: GM’s Gary Smyth on modeling and simulation as core to powertrain innovation

In a video published by Reaction Design, Gary Smyth, executive director of GM’s Science Labs, discusses the successes GM has made and continues to make in developing advanced powertrain systems and vehicles, in large part due to increasing reliance on combustion modeling and simulation. Smyth’s specific observations on the importance... Read more →


Comparisons of life-cycle emissions from LUC phase for (a) sugar cane ethanol and (b) soybean biodiesel. Credit: ACS, Tsao et al. Click to enlarge. When including Land Use Change (LUC) factors, Brazilian sugar cane ethanol and soybean biodiesel have much larger life-cycle emissions than conventional gasoline and biodiesel for six... Read more →


GraalBio will use the Chemtex PROESA cellulosic ethanol process. Source: Chemtex. Click to enlarge. GraalBio, a biotechnology company of the Graal Group, is planning to build a commercial plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol in Brazil. The company will also install an agricultural station to develop new cane varieties... Read more →


Number of cars (world and US), amount of gasoline consumed, amount of ethanol equivalent required for a neat ethanol fleet, ethanol and electricity to power hybrid fleet, and sugar cane area for hybrid fleet. Credit: ACS, Pacca and Moreira. Click to enlarge. If sugar cane is used as the feedstock... Read more →


Nissan launches expanded strategy for Brazil with new $1.4B manufacturing plant; Renault boosting production capacity there by 100,000 units

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. plans to invest 2.6 billion BRL (US$1.4 billion) to construct a new manufacturing facility in Resende in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro and develop, industrialize and launch new products. The Brazilian factory, scheduled to begin production in the first half of 2014, will have... Read more →


BP expanding Brazilian sugarcane ethanol business

BP is expanding its business in Brazil that produces ethanol from sugarcane. The company is increasing its share in Brazilian biofuel company Tropical BioEnergia S.A. to 100%, acquiring the remaining 50% of the company from the joint venture partners for about US$71 million. BP is also taking an additional share... Read more →


Petrobras to invest US$2.5 billion in increasing biodiesel and ethanol production through 2015

Brazil’s Petrobras, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Petrobras Biocombustível, will invest US$2.5 billion in increasing biodiesel and ethanol production between 2011 and 2015. This amount is part of $4.1 billion earmarked for the biofuels business, which also foresees $1.3 billion for ethanol logistics and $300 million for research in this segment.... Read more →


LS9 collaborating with MAN Latin America to test UltraClean renewable diesel in Brazil

LS9, Inc., a synthetic biology company producing renewable fuels and chemicals directly by microbes, has begun a collaboration with MAN Latin America, a leading Brazilian engineering and vehicles manufacturing company, to test LS9’s renewable diesel in both stationary engines and operational fleet vehicles in Brazil. The project will include performance,... Read more →


Shell and Cosan launch their multi-billion dollar sugarcane ethanol JV Raízen

Shell and Cosan launched Raízen, their multi-billion dollar joint venture to produce ethanol made from sugar cane. (Earlier post.) The major retail and commercial fuels company will operate in Brazil. Raízen will produce and sell more than 2 billion liters (528 million gallons US) of sugarcane ethanol per year. Raízen... Read more →


Brazil and US to deepen cooperation on energy; aviation biofuels

Among the statements and agreements emerging from President Obama’s official visit to Brazil and meeting with President Dilma Rousseff were overall support for the US supporting “the rise of Brazil as a global power” as well as an agreement to launch a Strategic Energy Dialogue between the two countries. By... Read more →


BP to acquire majority control of Brazilian ethanol and sugar producer for $680M

BP has agreed to acquire majority control of the Brazilian ethanol and sugar producer Companhia Nacional de Açúcar e Álcool (CNAA). When CNAA’s assets are fully developed, this is expected to increase BP’s overall Brazilian production capacity to around 1.4 billion liters of ethanol equivalent per year (370 million gallons... Read more →


Cosan and Shell introduce Raízen, their $12B Brazilian ethanol JV

Royal Dutch Shell and Cosan SA have introduced Raízen, their Brazilian ethanol joint venture. The new company will be one of the top five companies in the country in revenues, with estimated market value of US$12 billion and approximately 40,000 employees. (Earlier post.) Raízen will be responsible for the production... Read more →


Renewable energy targets and energy priority areas in the BRIMCS countries (not listed in order of importance or emphasis). Data: Kempener et al. Click to enlarge. A team of Harvard Kennedy School researchers has found that the governments of six key developing countries—Brazil, Russia, India, Mexico, China, and South Africa,... Read more →


TAM Airlines, Curcas and Brasil Ecodiesel partnering to evaluate the production of renewable jet fuel in Brazil; support from Airbus and BP Air

Brazil’s largest airline, TAM Airlines; Curcas Diesel Brasil, a company promoting Jatropha curcas as the key feedstock for the global biodiesel industry; and Brasil Ecodiesel, the country’ largest biodiesel producer, will collaborate to conduct feasibility studies to implement an integrated project for the sustainable production of renewable jet fuel in... Read more →


Turnover of the US fleet under the three models of penetration. The circles represent the year in which new vehicle sales equal 100% alternative powertrains/fuel. Source: Belzowski and McManus. Click to enlarge. The US and China—as well as Western Europe, Japan and Brazil—could turnover more than 90% of their vehicle... Read more →


The KLE process. Click to enlarge. Petrobras, via Petrobras America, entered into a Joint Development Agreement with KL Energy Corporation (KLE) to optimize KLE’s proprietary cellulosic ethanol process technology for sugarcane bagasse feedstock. As part of this agreement, Petrobras will provide $11 million to adapt KLE’s demonstration facility to the... Read more →


Integrating cellulosic ethanol production via DHR. Source: Dedini. Click to enlarge. Dedini S/A Indústrias de Base and Novozymes A/S signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aiming at continuing to develop a technological route to produce cellulosic ethanol in Brazil. The objective of this partnership is to develop a process using... Read more →


Petrobras Partners with BIOeCON on BiCHEM Process for Cellulosic Biofuels and Chemicals

Brazil’s Petrobras will partner with BIOeCON, a Dutch company, on the development of a new process for enhanced conversion of lignocellulosic biomass such as sugarcane bagasse into chemicals that can be used to produce green plastics, or further transformed into next-generation advanced biofuels. The new technology, called BiCHEM (Biomass Chemical... Read more →


Petrobras and São Martinho Partner in Brazilian Ethanol Sector, Form New JV

Petrobras, through its Petrobras Biocombustível subsidiary, has formed a strategic partnership with Grupo São Martinho S.A., one of the largest sugar and energy groups in Brazil, to increase ethanol production in Midwestern Brazil, in the State of Goiás. The partners will form a new joint venture company—Nova Fronteira Bioenergia S.A.—which... Read more →


Bayer CropScience and Brazil’s CTC to Partner On Research to Increase Sugar Content of Sugarcane for Biofuels

Bayer CropScience and the CTC—Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira, the Center for Sugarcane Technology, São Paulo, Brazil—intend to enter into a broad cooperation on the research and development of biotech sugarcane varieties. The main goal is to combine the expertise of both partners to develop varieties with higher sugar content, aiming... Read more →


Launch ceremony for the first Promef Suezmax tanker. Source: Petrobras. Click to enlarge. Brazil’s Petrobras set a new monthly oil production record in April. The month’s average topped-out at 2,032,620 barrels per day, exceeding the previous monthly record, of 2,003,940 barrels per day, set in September 2009, by 29,000 barrels.... Read more →


Petrobras Launches Two Palm Oil Projects; Biodiesel in State of Pará, Renewable Diesel with Galp in Portugal

Brazil’s Petrobras is launching two projects to produce biofuels from palm oil (dendê) in Tomé-Açu (state of Pará): a Petrobras-owned biodiesel plant (the Biodiesel Pará project), and a project to produce renewable diesel in partnership with Portuguese outfit Galp Energia (the Belém project) (earlier post). The feedstock supply strategy foresees... Read more →


Petrobras to Take 45.7% Stake in 4th Largest Sugarcane Processor in Brazil for Biofuels and Bioenergy

Petrobras and Tereos Participações Ltda. (Tereos International) have formed a strategic partnership to invest in Açúcar Guarani S.A. (Guarani), a Tereos group subsidiary, aiming to accelerate its growth in the Brazilian ethanol, sugar and bioenergy industry. Additionally, investments will be increased in technology and in research and development programs for... Read more →


Brazil’s 10-millionth flex-fuel vehicle was built on 4 March, according to the country’s National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea). The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) commented that this milestone should encourage automakers to invest more in the global dissemination of what has been accomplished in Brazil, as well as in... Read more →


Shell and Cosan Intend to Form $12B JV in Brazil To Be One of the World’s Largest Ethanol Producers; Shell Would Contribute Interests in Iogen and Codexis

Shell International Petroleum Company Limited and Cosan S.A. have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU), with the intention to form a circa $12 billion joint venture (JV) in Brazil for the production of ethanol, sugar and power, and the supply, distribution and retail of transportation fuels. Cosan is the... Read more →


Bunge expects global sugar demand expected to grow at more than 2% per annum, and ethanol demand to increase both within Brazil and for the export market. Source: Bunge. Click to enlarge. US-based global agribusiness company Bunge Limited has entered into an agreement to become the 100% owner of Usina... Read more →


Novozymes in Two New Research Partnerships in Brazil; Biogas from Bagasse and Polypropylene from Sugarcane

Novozymes, an international enzymes and microorganisms company, has entered two new research partnerships in Brazil. A partnership with Cetrel, the largest provider of environmental solutions for the manufacturing industry in Latin America, is focused on the production of biogas from sugarcane bagasse using enzymes. The biogas can be used to... Read more →


Amyris to Partner with Three Sugar and Ethanol Producers in Brazil for Manufacture of Renewable Chemicals and Fuels

Amyris Brasil, a wholly owned subsidiary of synthetic biology company Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc. has entered into letter of intent agreements with three sugar and ethanol producers in Brazil—Bunge Limited, Cosan and Açúcar Guarani with the purpose of partnering for the production of high value renewable specialty chemicals and fuels. These... Read more →


Brazil to Increase Mandatory Biodiesel Blend to 5% in 2010; Mandatory Emissions Testing for Vehicles

Effective January 2010, Brazilian diesel fuel vehicles will be required to run on a 5% biodiesel blend, up from 4% at present. The announcement was made last Friday by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and is expected to raise biodiesel production levels to 2.4 billion liters (634 million gallons)... Read more →


The Electric Daily in Brazil. Click to enlarge. Iveco has presented a prototype of its new Electric Daily in Brazil, destined to be the first zero emission light commercial vehicle produced in Latin America. The project builds on Iveco’s long-running research and development of electric propulsion, which started with the... Read more →


GM Brazil to Invest R$2B in Expansion and New Line of Chevrolet Small Cars

General Motors Brazil will invest R$2 billion (US$1.033 billion) to launch a new Chevrolet line of vehicles and to expand its plant in Gravataí, Rio Grande do Sul. The investment is the largest made by the company in its 84 years in Brazil. Included in the investment program is the... Read more →


Petrobras Biocombustível To Invest US$2.4B in Biodiesel and Ethanol Production

As part of its newly released business plan, Brazil’s Petrobras Biocombustível intends to invest approximately US$2.4 billion in biodiesel and ethanol production from 2009-2013; 91% of the investment is targeted for Brazil. This investment is part of a total of $2.8 billion Petrobras earmarked for the biofuels business, which also... Read more →


NREL and Petrobras to Collaborate on Advanced Biofuels Research

The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) have signed an agreement that could accelerate the development and international commercialization of advanced, second-generation biofuels. The announcement was made at the International Biofuels Conference in São Paulo, Brazil. Petrobras and NREL have common interests... Read more →


Monsanto Acquires Brazilian Sugarcane Breeding and Genomics Companies for $290M

Sugarcane, a monocot, can benefit from Monsanto’s existing work on its corn platform. Click to enlarge. Monsanto is acquiring Aly Participações Ltda., which operates the sugarcane breeding and biotechnology companies, CanaVialis S.A. and Alellyx S.A., both of which are based in Brazil. The $290-million (R$616 million) cash purchase marks a... Read more →


SEKAB and Brazilian Partners To Introduce “Verified Sustainable Ethanol”

The Swedish company SEKAB, which delivers about 90% of all ethanol in Sweden for E85 and ED95 (ethanol for heavy-duty vehicles using compression ignition engines, earlier post), announced that it will be the first company to supply verified sustainable ethanol. This ethanol from Brazilian sugarcane is quality-assured from environmental, climate... Read more →


BP To Take 50% Stake in Brazilian Ethanol Company Tropical BioEnergia SA

BP announced today that it intends to take a 50% stake in Tropical BioEnergia SA, a joint venture established by Brazilian companies Santelisa Vale and Maeda Group, which is constructing a 435 million liter (115 million gallons) a year ethanol refinery in Edéia, Goias State, Brazil. The joint venture, in... Read more →


São Paolo Puts Ethanol Bus into Service in BEST Project; E25 Prius Hybrids Under Test

The Scania-based E95 bus in São Paolo. São Paulo, Brazil’s Sistema Metropolitano de Transporte (Metra—Metropolitan Transport System), has put into operation the first Scania-based E95 ethanol bus it will test as one element of Brazil’s two-part involvement in the BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport (BEST) project. (Earlier post.) Scania delivered the... Read more →


Novozymes in Development Agreement For Bagasse Ethanol in Brazil

Novozymes has concluded a development agreement with CTC (Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira), the Brazilian sugar cane industry’s technical center, to contribute enzyme technology for developing bioethanol from bagasse. The agreement with CTC is a research collaboration with a view to developing bioethanol from bagasse—the residual cellulosic product of sugar production... Read more →


BioDiesel Technologies Launching First Commercial Jatropha Biodiesel Project in Brazil

The CPU 1000 unit. Brazil’s first commercial jatropha biodiesel project goes into operation this month following the delivery of BioDiesel Technologies’ (BDT) processing unit. BDT will deliver an additional four processing units to increase the plant's annual capacity to 40,000 tonnes (about 10 million gallons US) by the end of... Read more →


Dow and Crystalsev to Make Polyethylene from Sugar Cane Ethanol in Brazil

The Dow Chemical Company, the world’s largest producer of polyethylene, and Crystalsev, one of Brazil’s largest ethanol players, plan to form a joint venture to manufacture polyethylene from sugar cane ethanol. With production expected to start in 2011, the plant will have an annual capacity of 350,000 metric tons. The... Read more →


Brazil and Indonesia in Ethanol Pact

Brazil will provide Indonesia with technical help to produce sugarcane ethanol under a pact just signed by the two nations. Indonesia, with the fourth-largest population in the world (behind China, India, and the United States), wants to revitalize its agriculture sector and reduce its dependence on oil. A member of... Read more →


US and Brazil Sign MoU to Advance Cooperation on Biofuels

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim today signed a memorandum of understanding to advance cooperation between the two countries on biofuels. As the world’s two largest producers of ethanol, the United States and Brazil intend to advance the research and development of new technologies... Read more →


Petrobras to Assess Oil Shale Production in Jordan

Brazil’s Petrobras has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR) of Jordan to undertake a 2-year technical and economic viability study for the use of Petrobras’ oil shale technology—Petrosix—in Jordan’s Attarat field. Petrobras has been working on oil shale production since 1954.... Read more →


Marubeni Establishes Biodiesel Company in Brazil

Marubeni Corporation, Japan’s fifth-largest trading company, is investing US$40 million to establish Agrenco Bio-Energia Ltda (ABE) in Brazil as a joint venture with Agrenco Group, a Brazilian grain trading company. ABE will produce biodiesel and soybean meal. ABE plans to construct three biodiesel production plants and two soybean oil crushing... Read more →