The month of February recorded that sales of ethanol by production units in the Center-South region totaled 2.40 billion liters, of which 2.28 billion liters were destined for the domestic market and 120.79 million liters for export. This exported volume represents a 41.40% increase over February 2019 (85.42 million liters), with 99.49 million liters sold in the last half of the month. In the accumulated from April 2019 to February 2020, this increase reaches almost 20%: 1.77 billion liters, against 1.48 billion liters registered in the same period of the previous harvest. In the 2015/2016 crop, the Central-South region exported 1.83 billion liters between April and February, higher than the 1.77 billion liters. The United States remains the main destination for Brazilian biofuel. In the domestic market, the volume of anhydrous ethanol sold reached 737.60 million liters, of which 344.08 million liters were recorded in the last half of the month. As for hydrated ethanol, sales reached 1.54 billion liters (740.85 million liters in the second half of February). In the aggregate since the beginning of the 2019/2020 harvest until March 1, the volume sold increased 8.93% in relation to the previous cycle, totaling 30.96 billion liters. Accumulated sales of the additive to the domestic market reached 8.23 billion liters, against 7.73 billion liters in 2018/2019. Those related to hydrated ethanol reached 20.97 billion liters, a significant increase of 9.13%. Estimates by UNICA indicate that the adhesion by the sugar-energy sector to the Program is wide. Plants already certified or in the process of certification accounted for 85% of domestic sales of biofuel in 2019. According to statistics from the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) compiled by UNICA, so far 38 ethanol plants already have the Certificate of Efficient Production of Biofuels issued by the Agency. “Our forecast is that 70 units will complete the certification process by the end of March and 110 by April,” added the executive. Sugarcane crushing in the Center-South region totaled 579.90 million tons from the beginning of the 2019/2020 harvest until March 1, 2020, an increase of 2.74% over the same period of the 2018/2019 cycle (564.45 million tons). Until that date, sugar production reached 26.49 million tons, while ethanol production, 32.55 billion liters (22.68 billion liters of hydrated ethanol and 9.87 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol). The volume of renewable produced by the units in the Center-South until the end of February 2020 already exceeds the historical record of production observed in the previous harvest (30.95 billion liters) by 1.60 billion liters. “This figure should grow, as we still have March production, officially incorporated into the 2019/2020 harvest,” says the executive. Of the total produced so far in the 2019/2020 cycle, ethanol produced from corn accounted for 4.35% of the volume recorded, reaching 1.41 billion liters by the end of February – more than double the value observed in same period last season (692.29 million liters). In the last 15 days of the month, 428.46 thousand tons of sugarcane were processed and 105.93 million liters of ethanol were manufactured. This amount covers 83.77 million liters derived from corn and 36.34 million liters reprocessed (anhydrous ethanol converted into hydrated). There was no record of sugar production. Regarding the number of plants in operation in the Center-South, so far there are 4 units of sugarcane and 11 producers of corn ethanol (3 dedicated exclusively to the processing of this raw material). No mill started harvesting in the second half of February, but 29 are expected to do so in the first half of March.
Source: Universo Agro / DATAGRO