BSBIOS to build ethanol plant to ramp up renewable fuel

BSBIOS, a Brazilian biofuels company, has signed an agreement to build the first large-scale ethanol plant in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The plant will process cereals, particularly wheat, to ramp up local production of the renewable fuel.

The plant will produce ethanol and bran from the processing of cereals such as corn, wheat, triticale, rice and sorghum, among others. It will process 1,500 tonnes of cereals per day to annually produce 58.117 million gallons of ethanol (anhydrous or hydrated) and 155,000 tonnes of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) for animal feed.

The facility will be constructed with an investment of $102.5 million and will be completed by 2027.

BSBIOS also has partnered with Biotrigo Genética, a leading company in genetic improvement of wheat in Latin America. The company is working on the genetic development of two wheat cultivars with high levels of starch exclusively for ethanol production.

The plant will produce its own electricity with biomass cogeneration, and surplus energy will be made available to the municipal distribution network. There will be no discharge of liquid effluents, which will be used for steam production in the production process, the company said.