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Brazil continues to develop its “natural knowledge economy ^[3]” by investing in opportunities for innovation based on the country’s natural resources. Sugarcane bagasse, once a worthless residue is now an important co-product used for the generation of energy and production of ethanol, among other things.

The use of the bagasse for energy begins in the sugar cane processing plants, which have become self-sufficient by using the residue. Last year, over 140 million tons of the residue were used for power generation, as opposed to packing the plants’ courtyards waiting to be disposed of. Bagasse is also being used for the production of pellets, which are then used as fuel for thermal plants. Pellets are easier to transport, have a higher heating potential and a higher market price than the unprocessed bagasse and have a lower carbon emission rate than coal, the most commonly used fuel in thermal plants.

It is estimated that if the usage of sugar cane bagasse for generating energy continues to grow, by 2021 it could reach an astonishing 28.760 megawatts/hour, enough to power 8800 houses for one year. The bagasse is also being used in the production of second-generation ethanol. The fuel is being developed in Brazil by the Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC) ^[4] (Sugarcane Technology Center), a technology research center focused on sugar cane, and Dedini S/A ^[5], a company whose operations range from breweries and fertilizers to mining and ethanol. The development of the second-generation ethanol is still in its initial stages.

[via Estadao ^[6]]