New Technology Brings Change to Brazil's Ethanol Industry
Seeking new market opportunities, members of the U.S.
ethanol industry are working to convert Brazilian ethanol plants to molecular
sieve dehydration plants. Brazil currently uses benzene to dehydrate
ethanol.
"There are two reasons why the Brazilian ethanol industry is
pushing towards the new technology," said Bill Wells, a vice-president for
Delta-T Corporation. "One is the need to get dangerous chemicals out of the
workplace, and the other is that Brazil has had a sharp increase in demand for
gasohol, a 22 percent ethanol blend."
Demand is expected to continue to
grow as Brazil makes the transition to a more industrialized country. The number
of miles driven by ethanol blended gasoline-burning vehicles is increasing
steadily, added Wells.
