Ethanol usage up exponentially in U.S. and Brazil; not as much in Europe
For the first time, sugarcane ethanol was a more important energy source for Brazilians (16 percent) than hydroelectricity (14.7 percent). This makes ethanol Brazil's second most-used energy source, right after oil-derived products. The U.S. still produces and consumes a lot of ethanol, with 23.7 percent of America's corn production used to make the biofuel. While these two countries a happily sipping the yellow fuel, the European Union had only a moderate ethanol increase in 2007. Less ethanol was produced in the EU last year, although the difference was compensated by Brazilian imports. Nevertheless, France almost doubled production (up to 578 million liters), which made it the most important European producer, ahead of Germany (394 million liters) and Spain (348 million liters).
[Source: Agra via Energías Renovables]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
inteller 12:19PM (5/22/2008)
And the Amazon rainforests weep at this news.
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mikw 3:04AM (5/23/2008)
Ethanol is not good. Save the rainforest and say no to ethanol.
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Rob 12:45PM (5/23/2008)
Algae-derived biofuels is the way to go. With the capability to produce 50,000-100,000 gallons per acre per year, it is far superior to current corn-to-ethanol methods that produce 20-50 gallons per acre per year. And it can be done in the desert. We should also take care to protect as much of the rainforests as possible. Algae seems like a win-win scenario.
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Fernando 1:28PM (5/23/2008)
You do know that Brazilian ethanol come from sugar cane, which doesn't grow in the Amazon region, right?
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Kent Gatewood 11:42PM (5/23/2008)
Corn 160 bushels an acre at 2.7 gallons a bushel should be 432 gallons of ethanol an acre.
What's Brazil selling their ethanol for?
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Rob 2:16PM (5/23/2008)
Fernando,
I understand Brazilian ethanol comes from sugar cane, but I did not know it is grown outside of the Amazon region. That is encouraging, because it suggests the potential for loss of Amazon forests due to ethanol is limited. Thank you for pointing that out.
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Rob 2:36PM (5/23/2008)
Following up on Fernando's post:
According to UNICA:
"The expansion of sugar-cane growing over the past 25 years essentially took place in Brazil’s Center-South region, in areas far away from the current biomes of the Amazon Rain Forest, the Atlantic Forest and the Pantanal. From 1992 until 2003, almost all of the expansion (94 percent) in the Center-South region occurred in existing units; new farming frontiers were involved to a much lesser extent. In São Paulo, the expansion has been based on the replacement of other crops and
pastures. Today as well as over the next few years, the expansion will continue to take place in the Center-South region, with an emphasis on the West of São Paulo, in the regions near the state line of Mato Grosso, and some areas in the State of Goiás; and mostly in areas of degraded pastures or fields...No expansion to any forest areas or protected biomes is considered, especially
because the legislation in force would not allow that to happen."
Source: http://www.baff.info/pdf/Ethanolproduction_in_Brazil.pdf (Caution: 4MB file)
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Bruno Santos 4:27PM (6/06/2008)
Amazon soil and climate is terrible for sugar-cane.
Amazon deforestation has a lot to do with food and wood supply, but NOTHING to do with biofuels whatsoever.
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