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Cerradinho avalia desafios para etanol de milho

  • Spanish Market: Agriculture, Biofuels, Biomass
  • 05/09/23

A empresa de bioenergia Cerradinho está investindo mais de R$1 bilhão para construir uma usina de etanol à base milho no Mato Grosso do Sul, solidificando sua presença no Centro-Oeste.

A Cerradinho está construindo a usina em Maracaju, no Mato Grosso do Sul, o terceiro maior estado produtor de grãos do Brasil, atrás de Mato Grosso e Paraná. O início das operações da primeira fase está programado para dezembro.

A nova planta tem capacidade para processar 608.000 t/ano de milho, o que equivale a uma moagem anual de 3,1 milhões de t em uma usina de cana-de-açúcar, segundo a Cerradinho. A empresa espera produzir 274.000 m³/ano de etanol na unidade, com o hidratado representando a maior parte desse total.

A unidade também processará 165.000 t/ano de grãos secos de destilaria (DDG, na sigla em inglês) e 11.000 t/ano de óleo de milho. A usina também gerará 52 GWh/ano de eletricidade e 135.000 CBIOs/ano.

A cidade de Maracaju é a maior produtora de milho do estado e tem condições favoráveis para aquisição de eucalipto para geração de energia, disse à Argus Renato Pretti, diretor-chefe de novos negócios e planejamento estratégico da Cerradinho, em uma conferência do setor esta semana.

Garantir biomassa é um desafio para a expansão do etanol de milho no Brasil, segundo ele. A maioria das usinas de etanol do país utiliza o bagaço – a biomassa do processo de moagem da cana-de-açúcar – para atender às necessidades energéticas de seus próprios processos de produção. As usinas brasileiras de etanol de milho, no entanto, dependem da queima de eucalipto ou de outros tipos de biomassa para alimentar suas operações.

O eucalipto, que também é cultivado na região Centro-Oeste, é uma fonte de rápido crescimento e geralmente está pronto para ser colhido cinco a seis anos após o plantio. Mas a aquisição de eucalipto ou outra biomassa para utilização como fonte de energia aumenta os custos e expõe os produtores às flutuações de outros mercados.

"Temos 100pc da nossa biomassa assegurada pelos próximos oito anos, plantando eucalipto e comprando biomassa", disse Pretti. "Essa foi uma estratégia que nós adotamos justamente para nos proteger".

Os preços da biomassa inflacionaram tanto no início deste ano, com o mercado de papel e celulose em alta, que alguns produtores de etanol de milho supostamente recorreram ao bagaço de cana para abastecer suas fábricas.

O cenário de oferta-demanda dos principais subprodutos do etanol de milho – DDGs e óleo de milho – também é fundamental para o sucesso desses projetos.

Pretti explicou que o DDG e o óleo de milho correspondem a aproximadamente 20pc da receita líquida total das usinas de milho, ajudando a cobrir 30-40pc dos custos com a matéria-prima principal. Para comparação, a energia elétrica tem no máximo 10pc da receita líquida no processamento de cana.

Quanto à comercialização de etanol, Pretti acredita que o aumento na oferta de Cerradinho será mais direcionado para os contratos de longo-prazo em detrimento do mercado spot. O aumento dos fluxos entre o Centro-Oeste e São Paulo, bem como os desafios logísticos, estão no radar da empresa.

Por ora, a empresa descarta qualquer investimento no mercado de combustível de aviação sustentável (SAF, na sigla em inglês).

Produção flex

A unidade de Maracaju será a primeira usina que produzirá exclusivamente etanol à base de milho da Cerradinho. A Cerradinho entrou pela primeira vez na crescente indústria de etanol de milho do Brasil em outubro de 2019, com uma usina flex no complexo de etanol de cana-de-açúcar da empresa em Chapadão do Céu, no interior do Goiás.

A empresa expandiu recentemente a produção de etanol de milho nessa unidade, elevando sua capacidade total de produção de etanol para 850.000 m³/ano.


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22/11/24

Blenders credit extension stalled in US Senate

Blenders credit extension stalled in US Senate

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Japan’s Taketoyo to resume biomass co-firing in 2027


22/11/24
22/11/24

Japan’s Taketoyo to resume biomass co-firing in 2027

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Shell will supply Brussels airport with SAF via DHL


21/11/24
21/11/24

Shell will supply Brussels airport with SAF via DHL

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Cop: EU, four countries commit to 1.5°C climate plans


21/11/24
21/11/24

Cop: EU, four countries commit to 1.5°C climate plans

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TotalEnergies' La Mede HVO plant restarting units


20/11/24
20/11/24

TotalEnergies' La Mede HVO plant restarting units

Barcelona, 20 November (Argus) — TotalEnergies 500,000 t/yr La Mede hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) plant near the French port of Fos-Lavera is restarting units following planned works The company issued a notice saying flaring and noise may occur through to the evening of 21 November as the restart occurs. TotalEnergies has not commented on the scope of the works, but the duration appears relatively short. La Mede began receiving feedstock again after a short break at the start of the month. It loaded a 14,000t HVO cargo last weekend, shipped to Fiumicino, Italy, which should arrive on 22 November, according to Argus tracking and Kpler data. Italy's Eni said this week that its 650,000 t/yr Gela HVO unit on Sicily is still undergoing planned works aimed at boosting the plant's flexibility to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A tanker arrived at Gela's berth today and is slated to load an HVO cargo, according to Kpler data and Argus tracking. But the vessel has a 20 December delivery date in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region, suggesting loading may not be imminent. By Adam Porter Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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