Despite lower levels of crushed sugarcane, enough ethanol is still being produced in Brazil to guarantee the country’s 25% gasoline admixture, Brazil’s Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) said in a statement. In Brazil, anhydrous ethanol is blended at 25% in gasoline, while hydrous ethanol is sold in neat form to be used in the growing fleet of flex fuel cars. Brazil consumes more ethanol than gasoline today, UNICA says.
According to the release, the sales of ethanol totaled 651 million literes in the first two weeks of November, down 14.5% compared to the same period last year. An unusually rainy harvest season has affected the crop, lowering its sucrose content and complicating the harvest. On top of this, India — a traditional sugar exporter — has become the world’s largest importer, driving up the price of raw sugar and discouraging ethanol production.
Filed under: Sugarcane, sugar | Tagged: Ethanol, sugar, Sugarcane, UNICA
