Argentina to invest US$1.5 billion in maize ethanol

Argentina is expected to invest nearly US$1.5 billion on its first 20 plants for the production of ethanol from maize, according to a report by the local daily La Nacion. The plants are expected increase the total area of Argentina’s maize plantations by 10%, and require between 3 million and 4 million tons of corn, without exerting pressure on the price and the other sectors using maize, such as poultry farms and feedlots, the daily said.
There are at least five advanced projects for maize ethanol, including Bio4 that was scheduled to start operations in September. The project was developed in the central Cordoba province by agribusiness firm Bioetanol Rio Cuarto to supply 50,000 cubic meters (1.77m cubic feet) of ethanol a year to the Argentine market. (September 3, 2012)