UNICA: Corn ethanol growth continues in sugarcane off-season

UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has released data showing that facilities in the south-central region of Brazil produced 207.26 million liters (54.75 million gallons) of ethanol during the first half of February. Corn ethanol accounted for 98 percent of that volume.

Mills in the region processed 73,180 metric tons of sugarcane during the two-week period. No sugarcane was processed during the same period of last year. Since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, 2022, mills in the south central region of Brazil have processed 542.47 million metric tons of sugarcane, up 3.8 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest season. 

As of mid-February, 12 ethanol production units in the south-central region remain operational, according to UNICA. One of those 12 units processes sugarcane, while the other 11 manufacture ethanol from corn.

The 207.26 million liters of ethanol produced during the first half of February is up 30.86 percent when compared to the same period of 2022. Production included 117.63 million liters of hydrous ethanol, down 8.67 percent, and 89.63 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 203.01 percent. Corn ethanol production was at 202.32 million liters, up 28.67 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

A total of 28.09 billion liters of ethanol has been manufactured since the beginning of the current harvest season, up 3.61 percent. Production includes 16.12 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 0.56 percent, and 11.98 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 9.81 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 3.84 billion liters of production, up 26.35 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest season.

Mills in the south-central regions old 1.09 billion liters of ethanol during the first half of February, up 1.2 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Domestic sales included 561.56 million liters of hydrous ethanol, down 1.06 percent, and 497.02 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 10.59 percent.

Sales since the beginning of the current harvest season include 14.64 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 0.58 percent, and 11.12 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 16.74 percent. Approximately 6 percent of hydrous ethanol sales were sold into export markets, along with 12 percent of anhydrous ethanol sales. Domestic sales of hydrous ethanol reached 13.78 billion liters, up 0.6 percent, with domestic sales of anhydrous ethanol at 9.75 billion liters, up 8.59 percent.