Brazil Leverages Sugarcane to Accelerate Renewable Energy Goals

According to the National Supply Company (Conab), the 2024/25 sugarcane harvest is expected to reach 685.86 million tons. Although much of it is destined for refining to produce sugar, brown sugar and derivatives, Brazilian sugarcane currently has another purpose: the production of biofuels. Professor Fernando de Lima Caneppele, from the School of Animal Science and Food Engineering at the University of São Paulo, explains in more detail the trajectory of sugarcane, which is currently used until its bagasse.

From the field to the factory

Brazil is the largest sugarcane producer in the world, and the history of this plantation in the country dates back to the early colonial period, when sugar mills were established along coasts and rivers. At that time, the product was mainly destined for sugar, and soon the sugarcane cycle declined to make way for coffee.

But, as Caneppele explains, sugarcane once again played an important role in the Brazilian economy when the material’s potential for extracting biofuels was recognized: “This milestone was the precursor to the sugar-alcohol era, inaugurating a new paradigm in the Brazilian agricultural economy. The search for efficiency and comprehensive use of sugarcane resources led to the development of sugar-energy plants in which sugarcane bagasse is converted into steam and then electricity. It was a significant advance towards more sustainable energy production.”

Upcoming challenges

Still aiming to increasingly reduce the carbon footprint of sugar and ethanol production, other advances, such as the use of vinasse as biomass, represent an increasingly sustainable horizon for energy production in Brazil:  “The evolution has not stopped at the achievements already made. The transition to the production of second-generation ethanol and the capture of biogas from vinasse represent recent advances that improve the economic and environmental viability of the sugarcane production chain”, argues Caneppele.

“Sugarcane, throughout its historical and scientific evolution, stands out as a remarkable example of how agribusiness can embrace innovation and sustainability. The trajectory of this commodity is a testament to the possibilities when science, technology and vision of the future come together to promote positive developments in society,” adds the professor.