Brazil launches sugarcane biofuel


April 24, 2008 - 10:10AM
Source: ABC

A new diesel biofuel derived from sugarcane is to be launched in Brazil after an accidental discovery made while researching malaria cures, the US and Brazilian companies producing it has announced.
John Melo, the head of US biotech firm Amyris, explained that one of his bio-engineers stumbled on the process while working on the Artemisia anti-malaria medicine.
Although the technology could make a variety of fuels, Amyris decided to make diesel with Brazilian partner Crustalsev because of demand for that product was "two to three times higher than for petrol."
He asked that the sugarcane diesel not be called "biodiesel" because that term is already applied to a fuel made from grains containing oil.
The two companies are to initially invest $10.55 million to install offices in Sao Paulo and build a factory that will experiment with the new fuel.
- AFP

Hi everyone,

this is what I cannot understand about alternative fuel production in Australia. I know sugarcane is not as good as corn for bio production but our sugarcane industry has gone down the drain due to low prices for sugar. Surely someone can see the oppotunity to revive the industry here in Australia and take the pressure off the grain drain.

The top 20 list of countries using natural gas for vehicles does not even include Australia. We have a good supply and we cannot even buy a local kit to connect to our house's natural gas supply to fill up our cars.

I just don't understand the lack of action, or do the big boys just have too tight a grip?

God bless froggo.

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HJ45 Landcruiser Troopy
SVO/WVO Converted 18/01/08

Problem is with the sugar industry the land is mostly on the coast and
developers are starting to snap up the best parts. So The farmers take
the compo from the government to get out of the industry with the recent
restructuring and then sell their land to the developers.

7.30 report had a piece some time ago on a bloke who had converted his
car to natural from mains supply. was only able to cover a short distance
from memory.
I believe Gosford council had converted there utes and light trucks to run
on natural gas so there must be kits out there but at what price.

Sugarcane is actually superior to grain for ethanol. It has a positive EROEI (unlike wheat). I was in touch with the Brazilian Consulate General's office over some matters and we discussed the absurd situation in Oz. They could not believe the STUPIDITY they kept running into. Here they were trying to assist the Australians to develope an industry and all they ran into was fools. They had spent decades developing their industry and technology, they had worked through their failures and could now pass on their success.

This was during the time that the ethanol 'beat-up' was in full swing, you know, the junk science campaign that the Labor Party (the present seat warmers in Government) was orchestrating. The Brazilians were using Australian Holdens in Brazil on ethanol, yet there was a campaign in Australia about ethanol destroying engines.

And now we have those same Labor pollies directing traffic in Canberra - we are so doomed.

Terry i would rather no beat up of either of our democratically elected parties here. Any how your so right about cane for ethanol its a shame that most aussies know more of the US corn ethanol and the downsdes rather than the much better aussie made product. Some of the aussie made cane ethanol is from the manildra group who i am currently trying to gain employment with partly due the some real good knowledge i could gain. I really like the fact that they set up opperations in rural areas like nowra and that ethanol was originally just a by-product of their usual production of starches. It really is such a shame that ethanol and biodiesel cop such a beat up over some of the worlds worst practices in other countries. Take it easy team and keep up the good promo work.
Cheers Nick.

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Cheers
Nick.

Roidio 2001 Holden Rodeo 4x4 2.8L TD. 2.5" Straight through exhaust sytem, heat exchanger shower system. 2" Body Lift,
And lots of fruit, B100 for 25,000 no problems.

Elsa 1983 Mercedes-Benz W123 300D. The Fastest Merc in Oz, Loving B100 Burgers

$10.55 million to experiment with the fuel !!!!!!!!!!????????????

Someone give me their address please so I can ask them to come experiment with my algae.

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Slippery
Small steps taken one at a time.

check out Advanced Fuels Technology - Home , they convert petrol cars to duel fuel petrol / CNG. They also sell a home fueling natural gas bowser for $5,500.

Unfortunatley, no rebates from fed govt.

considering we sell our natural gas to China for 0.5 cents per litre, this is truly a crime.

We have 500 years supply of natural gas in Australia. Its carbon emissions are far, far less than petrol and LPG.

we own the solution to Peak Oil (for Australia) and yet the powers-that-be are naturally not doing anything about it.

it makes me sick.

The US make ethanol from corn because they have a big corn industry. Most ethanol here is made from sugarcane or fossil fuels.
I don't think corn ethanol is superior to anything (except perhaps fossil fuels)

Probably a pilot plant, with a budget like that.


Natural gas is still a non-renewable fuel. It still contributes to carbon dioxide emissions (even if other emissions are not as bad). There is already a problem in Aus that we buy the gas for far less than it can be sold to china. There has been pressure from industry to relax the limitations put on them by the WA government, which were put in place to protect our domestic gas supplies into the future. We might have 500 years worth at current consumption rates, but wait to see what happens if we stop using coal, or we cant import petroleum products.

Fossil fuels can not be our only source of energy forever. Have some consideration for future generations.

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When making alcohol from corn. For every one unit of power put in you get 1 unit out. A 1:1 conversion rate which is renewable but unviable, un economic, un ethicl, unsustainable.... Just about un everything. When using sugar cane for every 1 unit in, you get 8 out. A conversion rate of 8:1. Which is renewable, sustainable, economically viable etc.etc .... every thing that corn isn't .......... The only way the corn to alcohol industry survives in the USA is government subsidies & grants. The corn growers are laughing .... as are the rich pigs getting the grants & subsidies. If every sewerage plant had an Algy farm attached to it we would have more oil than you can poke a stick at.

Still off topic, but power stations have plenty of CO2 & waste heat to permit algae growing & processing.

I think this project will be using the bagasse to produce producer gas which can be processed into long chain molecules, suitable for use as diesel fuel (possibly using the Fischer - Tropsch proces)

Tony