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Copersucar to supply Brazil ethanol to Japan

Oil & Gas Journal

Copersucar, one of the top sugar and ethanol groups in Brazil along with Cosan Industria e Comercio and Crystalsev, has increased its cane crushing capacity to 70 million tonnes this season, up from 65 million tonnes in 2007-08.

The group, which controls 33 cane mills, expects to produce 3.9 million tonnes of sugar—up 10% from last season—and 3.7 billion l. of ethanol, up 14% on the year.

Pipeline project
Earlier this month Cosan Industria e Comercio, along with Copersucar and Crystalsev, began building an ethanol pipeline linking the sugarcane milling area of Ribeirao Preto to the Santos port terminal.

A total of 1.6 billion reais is going to be invested in the project, which will become operational within 4 years, according to Cosan director Paulo Diniz.

Meanwhile, according to a Copersucar executive, Brazilian ethanol exports from the south-central region could rise this season by at least 50% over last year's crop as US demand for the biofuel surges.