Brazil's Solution to Reducing Carbon Emissions? Sugarcane!
In Brazil, a long-term strategy for decarbonization is underway, with a focus on bioethanol and flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs). This approach, pioneered by the pioneering biofuel initiative, the Proálcool Program, has been integrated into the transportation sector for over five decades, making Brazil a global benchmark in renewable transportation fuels.
Brazil's extensive use of bioethanol, primarily produced from sugarcane and corn, combined with the widespread adoption of FFVs, has allowed the country to replace over 50% of its petrol consumption with bioethanol since the launch of the Proálcool program in 1975. This shift has resulted in the avoidance of nearly 1.4 billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions to date.
Key elements of Brazil’s approach include the Proálcool Program, Flex-Fuel Vehicles, Sustainable Land Use, and a Biofuel in Transport Matrix. The Proálcool Program has integrated bioethanol into the transportation sector for five decades, making Brazil a global benchmark in renewable transportation fuels. Flex-Fuel Vehicles are widely embraced by the Brazilian market, offering consumers flexibility to use ethanol or gasoline based on price and availability, facilitating large-scale ethanol use without requiring specialized vehicles. Brazil maintains modest agricultural land use while preserving 66% native vegetation, demonstrating that large-scale ethanol production coexists with biodiversity and food security. As of now, about 22.5% of Brazil’s transport energy derives from renewable sources, a significant lead over the global average of 3%.
The latest efforts and advancements aiming to boost this decarbonization pathway include the expansion of ethanol production, the Fuel of the Future Law (2024), Ethanol for Shipping, and the integration with other renewables. Companies are making large investments in crop-based ethanol plants, such as the recent $392 million investment in a corn ethanol plant in Paraná state, expected to reduce emissions by approximately 380,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent annually. The Fuel of the Future Law sets ambitious targets to increase ethanol blends in fuels and biodiesel blends, alongside incentives for biogas, biomethane, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuels. Brazil is pioneering the use of ethanol as a marine fuel, actively engaging with the International Maritime Organization to include ethanol in lifecycle assessments, safety standards, and operational codes specifically for marine applications. There is coordination of biofuel production with food, feed, and power generation, enhancing overall system sustainability and energy security.
In summary, Brazil’s decarbonization through bioethanol and flex-fuel vehicles is a long-term, multifaceted strategy characterized by historic wide-scale ethanol adoption, supportive legislation, sustainable agricultural practices, and innovation in expanding ethanol uses, including maritime applications and increased blend mandates. This comprehensive biofuel ecosystem positions Brazil as a global model for low-carbon transport solutions.
Elsewhere, similar decarbonization projects are being pursued in disaster-affected areas in Japan. In Brazil, ongoing projects involve collaboration between industry and academia to decarbonize the future. Notably, Toyota do Brasil plans to produce a compact flex-fuel hybrid vehicle (HEV) for export to 22 countries in 2024, with an investment of 45 billion yen. The new Toyota HEV will be a flex-fuel vehicle, capable of running on ethanol, gasoline, or both.
Moreover, the new Toyota HEV will be produced in a facility where the president and employees share lunch around the same table, and the staff cafeteria serves traditional Brazilian feijoada once a month. In Brazil, even gasoline is partially ethanol due to national policy promotion. Yuta Tomikawa, a visitor to Brazil, observed that the prevalence of bioethanol has minimized the gasoline odor in the country. Flex-fuel vehicles are commonly sold in Brazil, unlike in Japan, and many Brazilian customers opt for the affordable ethanol option. Gas stations in Brazil offer ethanol, gasoline, and diesel.
Stunning advances in genetic technology are being used to further improve the decarbonization potential of sugarcane. Sugarcane absorption of CO₂ offsets CO₂ emissions from bioethanol combustion, making it a carbon-neutral fuel. Japanese and Brazilian developers are collaborating on the world's first flex-fuel HEV, marking a significant step towards a more sustainable future.
- The new Toyota flex-fuel hybrid vehicle (HEV), set for production in Brazil in 2024, will not only be exported to 22 countries but also capable of running on ethanol, gasoline, or both, aligning with Brazil's extensive use of bioethanol in transportation.
- In an effort to further improve the decarbonization potential of sugarcane, genetic technology is being used to enhance its CO₂ absorption abilities, making sugarcane-derived bioethanol a carbon-neutral fuel, similar to Brazil's bioethanol approach.
- Collaboration between industry and academic institutions in Brazil, as seen with Toyota do Brasil's production of a flex-fuel HEV, is playing a significant role in the country's ongoing projects aimed at decarbonizing the future, following a long-term strategy that has positioned Brazil as a global benchmark in renewable transportation fuels.
