Bunge Brasil to invest US$2.5 billion in ethanol, bioenergy

Bunge Brasil, a subsidiary of U.S.-based agribusiness and food company Bunge Ltd., will invest €1.744 billion (US$2.5 billion) in the sugar, ethanol and bioenergy businesses in Brazil from 2012 to 2016. The company’s investment will be used to expand the subsidiary’s eight mills. Bunge Brasil will increase sugar cane crushing capacity to 30 million tons, up by 50%. The expansion will put the company’s energy co-generation capacity at 1,800 GWh per year. Bunge Brasil has set a goal of becoming a self-sufficient producer of electricity by 2014. (August 19, 2011)