Experiment Boosts Ethanol Production by About 120%

In One Year, Researchers from Bioplan-UEM and Lafieco-USP Achieved an Impressive 120% Increase in Sugarcane-Based Ethanol Production.  

Biologist Wanderley Dantas dos Santos (photo) supervised the application of three natural compounds on the plants: one containing methylenedioxacetic acid (MDCA), another with piperolonic acid (PIP), and a third with daidzin (DZN). These compounds were specifically designed and applied to sugarcane, soy, and brachiaria to take advantage of their unique characteristics and properties.

According to Santos, MDCA, PIP, and DZN are lignin inhibitors, a molecule that provides rigidity to the plant cell wall. “In general, the compound we developed alters the lignin metabolism. This helps penetrate the plant’s cell wall, where cellulose is located. So there is potential to produce more sugars, more carbohydrates.”

The experiment was published in an article in the journal Biomass and Bioenergy. The project is supported by the Research Center for Innovation in Greenhouse Gases (RCGI), Research Center for Engineering (CPE) formed by FAPESP and Shell at the Polytechnic Institute (Poli-USP).

Increase in Ethanol Production

In the case of sugarcane, the discovery may help to expand and shrink the production of so-called second-generation ethanol, produced from plant biomass residue (bagasse). The main producer of this alcohol is the joint venture Raízen, formed by Cosan and Shell, located in São Paulo state, responsible for 1.5% of the national production.

Currently, the industry is financially expensive for conducting the so-called pre-treatment, which removes lignin to make carbohydrates easier to digest and produce enzymes that can ferment sugars to generate new generation ethanol.

The biomass from sugarcane can be better utilized with the application of compounds developed by researchers. The researchers also tested the compounds on brachiaria animals used to feed livestock.

Modified lignin-containing soy can also be used as animal feed. Today, livestock is often fed with corn and protein supplements. Soy can partially replace this protein supplement. As the compound is applied, it becomes nutritionally more palatable and will satisfy the animal with smaller portions of feed.

Brazilian Corn Ethanol Production Grows More Than 1,000% in Six Years

Corn ethanol production, common in the United States, gained momentum in Brazil in less than a decade and is expected to consolidate a 1,000% increase compared to the crop six years ago. According to the National Union of Corn Ethanol (Unem), the growth forecast is attributed to the increase in corn production capacity, as well as the expansion and adoption of technology in the industrial sector.