Fenasucro & Agrocana presents bioenergy megatrends

Exalting Brazil's leading role in sugarcane production and its potential for the expansion of ethanol in the coming years, the 29th Fenasucro & Agrocana began this Tuesday (15), in Sertãozinho/SP. The fair is the only one in the world dedicated exclusively to the bioenergy chain and, in this edition, it focuses on sustainability, biofuels and clean energy.

Traditionally known for being a reference in the launch of technologies and innovations for the sector, the fair once again showed its importance by presenting the megatrends in bioenergy on the first day. The explanation took place during the 10th Datagro & Ceise Br Conference with the presence of the president of Datagro, Plínio Nastari, and the director of Government Relations and Vehicle Regulation at Toyota do Brasil, Roberto Braun.

In pursuit of carbon neutrality, Toyota developed four vehicle electrification technologies – Flex Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, Electric Battery and Hydrogen, according to each context and customer needs, and announced that low-carbon mobility is the agenda of the future.

“Brazil has one of the cleanest energy sources in the world, which favors electric vehicles. It is practical, sustainable and affordable. Today, a flex-hybrid car fueled with 100% ethanol has lower carbon emissions than an electric car in Europe”, highlighted Braun.

The director of Toyota Brazil also reaffirmed, based on a study by Jama (Japan Vehicle Manufacturers Association), that it is necessary to increase the use of carbon-neutral fuels, as vehicle electrification alone will not be enough to avoid climate change. .

“Because of our trajectory, we are bringing another model to Brazil, which is the compact flex hybrid. The idea is to bring more accessibility to this technology, closer to society, not only in Brazil but throughout Latin America”, said the Toyota executive.

Within this context, the president of Datagro, Plínio Nastari, announced some economic advantages of using ethanol, such as high octane to replace carcinogenic aromatics; affordable price for the consumer; the promotion of employment and income; and detailed the growth in corn ethanol supply and production projections until 2031.

“The production of corn ethanol is expanding in supply, thus contributing to increasing the availability of ethanol, as Brazil is the third largest consumer of energy for transport in the world, behind only the United States and China and the ahead of India, which has a population of 1,4 billion people, and Japan and Russia”, pointed out Nastari.

Within the megatrends presented, he also cited opportunities with sugarcane bagasse and straw as an energy use, as well as biogas and biomethane, 2nd generation ethanol, in addition to hydrogen, as a liquid fuel with high energy density. and low carbon footprint, produced efficiently and sustainably.

“Ethanol is a great hydrogen carrier. In technologies where you value hydrogen, ethanol is worth twice as much as gasoline. So, that's why we believe we are moving towards the hydrogen era. Brazil is already in this era, with the distribution of 41.800 ethanol distribution stations. We have already solved the challenge of distributing hydrogen in Brazil”, said Nastari.

Opening ceremony

The official opening of Fenasucro & Agrocana 2023 was attended by the fair's president emeritus, Antonio Eduardo Tonielo; the CEO of Unica (Sugarcane Industry Union) and honorary president of this edition, Evandro Gussi; as well as the general director of RX for Latin America, Claudio Della Nina, the president of Ceise Br, Rosana Amadeu, the president of the National Sugar Energy Forum, Mário Campos Filho, the president of Udop (National Bioenergy Union), Hugo Cagno and the president of Datagro, Plínio Nastari. Also participating in the ceremony were the Secretary of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo, Antônio Junqueira Queiroz and the mayors of Ribeirão Preto and Sertãozinho, as well as other authorities and guests.

New input factory

Still on the first day of the fair, Canaoeste promoted the launch of its biological inputs factory, CanaoesteBio – Tecnologia Sustentável.

Bioinputs are products made from microorganisms, plant, organic or natural materials that are used in agricultural cultivation systems to combat pests and diseases, improve soil fertility, and improve the availability of nutrients for plants. Because it has low toxicity and is biodegradable, bioinput provides sustainable agriculture and reduces impacts compared to common agrochemicals.

According to the manager of CanaoesteBio, André Volpe, the implementation of the factory took a year in the construction phase and now the unit is ready to go into operation. In total, around R＄ 2,5 million were invested in the project and the factory will have an estimated production capacity of between 100 and 120 thousand liters/year. All production will be destined exclusively to the entity's members.

“We are always looking for answers that produce an impact in the field, whether in cost reduction, benefits or access to new technologies”, said the president of Canaoeste, Fernando dos Reis Filho.