The total volume of ethanol sold by the Central-South producing units in the domestic market reached 2.85 billion liters in May, a 50.64% increase compared to the same period of 2018. Of this total, sales of hydrated in the domestic market stood out once again, reaching 2.05 billion liters. This volume represents a new record in biofuel sales for the month of May. The 53.19% increase in monthly sales of hydrated also incorporates the impact of the truckers’ strike that interrupted production and sales activities for a few days in that period last year. The volume of anhydrous ethanol directed to the domestic market reached 805.33 million liters in May, an increase of 44.53% compared to 557.20 million sold in the same month of 2018. For Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, technical director of UNICA, “the historical result stems from the competitiveness of hydrated gasoline and from the repositioning of distributors’ operational inventories and pipelines.” In the case of anhydrous ethanol, it should be mentioned that the greater delivery of biofuel by the producing units was also influenced by the reduction in ethanol imports, the expansion of the cabotage operation and the transfers to meet demand in the North-Northeast region, the executive added. In the accumulated crop, sales of ethanol by the Center-South totaled 5.51 billion liters – 3.91 billion hydrated and 1.60 billion anhydrous. Of that total, 203.89 million liters were for export and 5.31 billion for the domestic market – especially the domestic hydrated sales, which registered an accumulated increase of 44.65% over the last year of the harvest.
Source: Unica