Goiás is strengthening its position as one of Brazil’s main biofuels hubs following the approval, in 2025, of R$ 1.4 billion in financing by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) for projects in the sector. The funds will boost ethanol production, expanding industrial capacity and increasing the state’s competitiveness at the national level.

According to André Rocha (photo), Executive President of the Ethanol Manufacturing Industry Union of the State of Goiás (Sifaeg) and President of the Federation of Industries of the State of Goiás (Fieg), the volume of investments confirms Goiás’ leading role in Brazil’s agroenergy sector.

“Goiás has been the Brazilian state that received the highest level of investments in biofuel plants over the past two decades and remained the main recipient of these resources for the longest period. Changes in state taxation have made the sector more competitive, and we are already seeing the results in the form of new investments over the past two years,” he says.

According to André Rocha, the update to the state tax policy implemented in 2024 was decisive in making the business environment more attractive and balanced compared to other major producing states, favoring the resumption and expansion of industrial projects. The financing approved by BNDES includes the modernization of industrial plants, expansions at sugar mills, retrofit projects at biofuel units, fleet renewals, and the expansion of sugarcane and corn production capacity, with particular emphasis on the growth of corn ethanol in Goiás.

“BNDES credit lines, with lower costs, combined with public policies implemented by the state government, have led companies that previously invested in other states to choose Goiás. The bank has been a key partner in discussions on the energy transition and in supporting the sector,” he emphasizes.

The advancement of investments strengthens the biofuels industry and generates direct impacts on Goiás’ economy, including job creation, income growth, and regional development. In addition, it reinforces the sector’s contribution to a cleaner and more sustainable energy matrix, consolidating Goiás as a national reference in the energy transition agenda.

About Sifaeg
The Ethanol Manufacturing Industry Union of the State of Goiás (Sifaeg) represents ethanol and bioenergy producing plants in the state, working to defend the sector’s institutional interests and to strengthen Goiás’ bioenergy agribusiness.