New ethanol transport terminal opens in Brazil

UNICA (Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association) said that the opening of a multimodal freight terminal in Ribeirão Preto, in São Paolo, will boost transport capacity ten times, from 150,000 tons to 1.5 million tons per year. The new US$16.8 million ethanol transport terminal is a joint venture between Copersucar S.A, Brazil’s biggest sugar and ethanol company, and Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica, a concessionaire of cargo railway transport in Brazil. The terminal links São Paulo’s sugarcane-rich interior to the port city of Santos. Under the agreement, Copersucar will have exclusive use of more than 500 refurbished freight cars. The project is part of Copersucar’s BRL2 billion (US$1.09 million) investment plan, aimed at revitalizing domestic and international ethanol distribution. UNICA said the new terminal will save 42,000 truck trips a year. “It cuts the costs associated with trucking, leads to fewer CO2 emissions and greater mobility,” said UNICA President Marcos Jank. According to statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Brazil’s ethanol production fell by 20% last year, although UNICA expects output to increase in 2012. (March 14, 2012)