Raízen, an integrated energy company and a global reference in bioenergy, receives this Friday, the 30th, the largest equipment in the plant dedicated to the production of Second Generation Ethanol (E2G), marking the conclusion of 50% of the works at the unit, located in the Parque of Bioenergia Bonfim, in Guariba, in the interior of São Paulo. The pre-treatment "Reactor", which is 13 meters long and weighs approximately 55 tons, is the largest piece by weight of the unit, which is expected to be completed in 2023. With technology and engineering made exclusively for the company, The equipment is manufactured entirely in Brazil, having been produced by Dedini, an industrial equipment company based in Piracicaba (SP), with a special metal alloy imported from Germany.

"The reactor, together with the screw press (Screw press) and the heater (Speed ​​Heater), are responsible for starting the transformation of biomass into E2G as a unique and exclusive technology for Raízen and the arrival of this equipment represents a milestone for the Bioenergia Bonfim. With this delivery, we overcome the most critical point at the beginning of the project, which was the manufacture of the equipment, and we conquered one of the main difficulties of pre-treatment for the E2G production process", celebrates Luciano Zamberlan, project manager from Raízen. In all, the piece will cover 204km from Piracicaba to Guariba.

As of 2024, Raízen will consolidate itself as the only world producer to operate four cellulosic ethanol plants on an industrial scale, implementing the strategic expansion plan and expanding the company's portfolio of renewable solutions. In addition to the plant under construction in Guariba, since the 2014/15 harvest the company has already operated another unit dedicated to E2G production at the Costa Pinto Bioenergy Park, in Piracicaba (SP). In May of this year, the company announced R?2 billion in investments for the construction of two new plants dedicated to the production of biofuel in the Univalem Bioenergy Parks, in Valparaíso (SP), and Barra, in Barra Bonita (SP). The four plants are expected to be operational between 2023 and 2024 and will have a total capacity of approximately 280 million m³ per year, of which 80% have already been sold under long-term contracts.

According to Sergio Leme, Executive VP of Dedini, participating in the manufacturing process of E2G equipment and in the pre-treatment project means adding operational and logistical synergies, in addition to contributing to the strengthening of the national supply chain. "The manufacture of the equipment was an important and innovative challenge in Dedini's 102-year history. We are proud to be part of this pioneering project and we are sure that the commitment of the teams involved was key to the success of this operation".

E2G is produced using the company's proprietary technology, using sugarcane bagasse, biomass extracted from sugarcane processing and production of first-generation ethanol (1G) and sugar as input. As an advanced biofuel, it has the potential to increase Raízen's ethanol production capacity by about 50% without adding a single hectare of land. In addition, its production results in a molecule with a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, below conventional ethanol. This makes E2G a key product in the energy transition, being able to be used for different purposes besides mobility, offering several solutions for industrial application - as raw material for the production of green plastic, for example.

As a one-stop shop for energy solutions and one of the pioneers in the application of the circular economy concept, in addition to the production of first and second generation ethanol, Raízen also has biogas, biomethane, solar energy and other production plants. renewable sources in operation and construction. By 2030, the company has goals to reduce the carbon footprint along the ethanol and sugar production chain by 20% and increase the production of renewable energy by 80%.