First wheat ethanol plant opens in Santiago (RS)

The municipality of Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, is eagerly awaiting the start of operations at Brazil's first wheat ethanol plant. The plant is awaiting authorizations to begin production, but the company responsible expects this to happen this month.

According to CB Bioenergia, 100 tons of wheat will be processed per day and the goal is to generate up to 12 million liters of hydrated ethanol per year.

In this first phase of the project, CB Bioenergia invested approximately R$100 million in construction. Subsequently, the company plans to expand the unit to generate between 45 and 50 million liters per year by 2027, which would require additional investments totaling R$500 million.

Segundo a IFF, usina de etanol de trigo em Santiago deve operar em um circuito fechado, assegurando que nenhum subproduto seja desperdiçado

It took approximately three years of research to determine which products would be used in the manufacturing process. The choice was a yeast developed by the American company IFF , which tested more than 150 varieties of wheat grown in Rio Grande do Sul.

According to the multinational, these yeasts are genetically modified and capable of fermenting these different wheat varieties, making production more profitable. They are estimated to increase yield by up to 4.5%.

Another point is the byproducts the plant intends to generate. In addition to neutral alcohol, used in the perfume and beverage industry, the solid waste is used to manufacture biodegradable disposable utensils (plates, for example).

Another plant

Also in Rio Grande do Sul, another biofuels company is installing a wheat ethanol plant. Be8 announced the investment in 2024, and construction is already 20% complete, with a launch scheduled for 2026.

The factory in Passo Fundo (RS) should produce 210 million liters of ethanol per year.

Source: https://www.novacana.com/noticias/primeira-usina-etanol-trigo-inaugurada-santiago-rs-190825