English 
Spanish 
4 min read
0 comments
Planalto Bioenergia invests R$1,8 billion in corn ethanol plants in Goiás, boosting sustainable production in Brazil.
Planalto Bioenergia, a company formed by rural producers from the Central-West, announced a investment R$1,8 billion in the construction of two corn ethanol plants in Goiás. The decision came after almost three years of studies and analyses, with the aim of expanding biofuel production in the state. The new plants will be built in the cities of Formosa and Cristalina, strategic regions for growing corn and sorghum. The plants will have technology and already have pre-approved licenses. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with operations expected to begin in 2026.
Investments in corn ethanol plants in Brazil
Corn ethanol has been gaining ground in the Brazilian energy matrix in recent years.
Planalto Bioenergia is betting on the growth of this type of biofuel with two new plants, which will have an initial capacity to process 1,5 tons of corn per day. This will allow for the annual production of 200 million liters of ethanol.
- European industry in collapse: The hidden truth about the waste that exploded in 2018 and still devastates the world
- BNDES and Finep lead R$5 billion financing to boost strategic minerals in Brazil
- Brazilian naval sector breaks record with R$31 billion in investments in 2024 and registers highest value in 12 years
- Elon Musk bets billions on Brazilian 'white gold'! Mega Project promises to revolutionize the market and transform Brazil into the largest economic power in America with new 21st century oil!
In addition to ethanol, these plants will also produce 140 thousand tons of DDG (vegetable protein concentrate for animal nutrition) and 9 thousand tons of corn oil, products that have a guaranteed domestic and foreign market.
Another advantage of these plants is the generation of 36,8 gigawatt-hours of energy per year, a byproduct of ethanol production.
A company predicts that the plants will be expanded in the coming years to double the processing capacity, depending on market performance and the supply of raw materials, such as corn and sorghum.
Strategic location of ethanol plants
The choice of the cities of Formosa and Cristalina was not by chance. These regions stand out for their production of grains, such as corn and sorghum, in addition to having a good supply of biomass for energy generation.
Another important factor was the offer of tax breaks by the state of Goiás, which has proven to be a favorable environment for the installation of new biofuel plants.
Rangel highlighted the importance of the strategic location of the plants for the investment project. Goiás is in the center of the country, facilitating the flow of production to different markets.
Cristalina, for example, has easy access to the Southeast, which is one of the largest ethanol-consuming regions, while Formosa can serve the Arco Norte, a strategic region for export.
Furthermore, the logistics for transporting ethanol and its by-products are also facilitated by the proximity of highways and ports, allowing the product to reach consumer markets more quickly.
Looking to the future of sustainable fuel
Planalto Bioenergia is aligned with the trends of market global biofuels.
The company hopes to benefit from regulatory changes and incentives geared towards the Fuel of the Future, a bill that aims to stimulate the production of more sustainable fuels in Brazil.
Corn ethanol is seen as a product with low environmental impact, especially in terms of carbon emissions.
Furthermore, the company is already evaluating the potential for diversifying production, with the use of sorghum in the mills, which can help ensure consistency of operations throughout the year.
Sorghum is a crop that has been growing in Brazil and can be an alternative to corn in some harvests.
Another innovative aspect that Planalto plans to introduce is the use of photovoltaic energy in the plants.
CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) technology was an investment that uses mirrors to concentrate solar energy in a central tower, and can be applied in a second phase of the project, reducing dependence on biomass for energy generation and further reducing the carbon footprint of operations.
Rangel also mentions that the company is looking at opportunities to supply ethanol for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a market that has been growing with the demand for cleaner energy solutions in the aviation sector.
