 Brazil is a pioneer in using ethanol in large scale and it is acknowledged for its responses to scarcity crisis of fossil fuels.
In 1975, aiming at energy self-sufficiency, Brazil launched the National Alcohol Program (Proálcool), allowing, at first, ethanol to be mixed with the gasoline consumed in the country and, some years later, ethanol started to be used as fuel. In fact, the first Brazilian alcohol-fueled car was manufactured in 1979 and gave rise to a large capacity industry.
The anhydrous ethanol mix with gasoline, currently used at the rate of 25%, has significantly contributed to reduce pollutants, such as ozone in urban centers.
More recently, at the beginning of this decade, flex-fueled engines revolutionized the Brazilian consumer's freedom of choice, offering the choice of filling up with the most convenient fuel.
Two types of ethylic alcohol or ethanol are produced in the country: Hydrous and Anhydrous Hydrous alcohol (with 4% water) is used by alcohol and flex-fueled vehicles. Anhydrous absolute alcohol, without water, works as an oxygenant in gasoline in several countries, as an alternative to highly polluting additives, such as tetraethyl lead and MTBE – methyl tertiary-butyl ether, originated from petroleum.
Some advantages of ethanol use for the environment are:
It replaces additives with heavy metals (such as lead and manganese) and MTBE
It does not contain sulfur (lower sulfur oxide and sulfate)
It does not inhibit use of catalytic conversers
It has a simple molecular structure and minimal particle emission.
It reduces the emission of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbonates
It produces hydrocarbonates with lower toxicity and photochemical reactivity. |
From residual molasses from sugar processing, anhydrous alcohol and hydrous alcohol are produced, two types of renewable and non-polluting fuels sold to Brazilian fuel distributors.
Guarani has a decisive and concrete contribution for the reduction of carbon dioxide released in the earth’s atmosphere. This is one of the most important gases causing global warming, essentially generated from the burning of organic compounds, mainly in large scale, by the use of fuels originated from petroleum or natural gas.
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