Last week, a new product shipment drew attention in berth 204 in the port of Paranaguá. Sugarcane bagasse pellets (in bulk) filled the holds of the ship Marina Prince. This is an export product to serve the UK market as sustainable energy. “We get really pleased when new products arrive and leave through the ports of Paraná. It is even more rewarding to have a biofuel to replace coal in the thermoelectric power generation”, says the CEO of the Ports of Paraná, Luiz Fernando Garcia. Sugarcane bagasse (pulpy fibrous that remains from sugarcane stalks crushed in sugar and ethanol industries) transformed into pellets is nothing more than the organic matter (biomass) compressed to become biofuel. It comes from São Paulo and is shipped by the ports of Parana. The shipment procedure of the sugarcane bagasse is carried out as any other dry bulk: the product leaves the terminal to reach the shiploader through conveyor belts to get into the ship’s holds. The operation is made by Pasa, in partnership with Céu Azul. Pasa’s operations manager, Eric Ferreira de Souza, says the product is being shipped by the company for the first time. “Handling sugarcane pellets opens new markets and future business, and also confirms the pioneering spirit and the potential of our terminal in relation to other products operated in Paranaguá”, says the manager. According to the National Supply Company (Conab), sugarcane is considered one of the best options for biofuel production, due to the great potential as a major raw material for ethanol (and by-products) production. The production of renewable energy is also encouraged in the state of Paraná. Last December, through the State Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply and the Paraná Rural Development Institute – Iapar-Emater (IDR-PR), the Government of Paraná established the Paraná Energia Rural Renovável program. The program is in the structuring phase and will support the electricity generation supply from renewable sources in rural production units. The program proposes to create subsidies for rural producers in Paraná, such as credit lines and tax incentives.
Source: AGENCIA DE NOTICIAS DO PARANA (AEN)
*Translated by Ia Niani