Most Brazilian sugarcane mills are currently self-sufficient, using bioenergy produced from the burning of sugarcane bagasse. That includes all 34 mills associated with Copersucar, a Brazilian company and the world’s largest sugar and ethanol trader. By 25 Copersucar units export energy to the National Interconnected System (SIN), reaching domestic consumers as well. In the last season (2020/2021), Copersucar produced 191,088.673.74 GJ, equivalent to 53,080.58 GWh, of which 2,864.19 GWh were exported, a volume enough to supply nearly 1.5 million houses a year. Bioenergy is a form of renewable energy derived from clean organic sources, such as sugarcane. For the electric energy generation process, it is not necessary to grow extra sugarcane, as it derives from the use of heat of sugarcane bagasse. The steam power of industrial boilers is used to move the generators. According to data from Unica, bioenergy produced from sugarcane biomass is the 4th most important power source in Brazil, only behind hydropower, wind power, and natural gas.
Source: Jornal Cana (*Translated by Ia Niani)