Lowering Emissions with Cane Ethanol Fuel

A new study carried out in Brazil suggests that substituting sugar cane-based ethanol for standard fuel represents one of the easiest and lowest-cost ways to lower emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.  The amount of energy produced by sugar cane ethanol is approximately eight times higher than the energy needed to manufacture it – an already impressive energy efficiency performance that the advent of new plant types could improve on still, the report says.

Ethanol Fuel

Brazil produces more cane-based ethanol than any other country in the world and the majority of new motor vehicles available on the Brazilian auto market can operate on ethanol fuel.  In terms of pure ethanol production levels, the USA is ahead of everyone else, but ethanol biofuels produced in that country use corn as opposed to sugar cane.  Fuels of this kind produce no more energy than is used in their creation. 

Cane Ethanol

As far as Brazil is concerned, use of cane ethanol has reduced greenhouse gas emissions significantly - the transport and energy sectors alone having witnessed a 22 per cent drop in 2006.  However, the country still figures among the world’s most polluting.  This is mainly due to Amazonian deforestation, since trees act as carbon sinks when in place, and release CO2 when burnt or chopped down.  If this deforestation is taken into account alongside the emissions improvements created as a result of cane ethanol fuel, then Brazil’s overall greenhouse gas emissions levels dropped ten per cent in 2006, the new study states. 

Energy Efficient Fuel

Brazil is set to figure prominently in the upcoming climate change discussions set to take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the end of 2009.  Brazilian-based producers of ethanol are concerned that their efforts in reducing emissions could be negated by the country’s overall emissions profile, and as such have been highlighting the virtues of sugar cane as the basis for a highly energy efficient fuel type.

“As ethanol is already competitive with gasoline at current oil prices, the additional cost [of switching to ethanol] is zero”, study co-author Isaias Macedo stated, adding: “...the possibility of producing ethanol in several countries makes it especially attractive.”