[2012] The growth stalls fuel ethanol in Brazil

Domestic consumption of liquid ethanol this year was 26% lower compared to the same period in 2008. Forty-one of about 400 ethanol plants from sugar cane country have closed at that time. The price of pure ethanol at the pump is so high that in most states it is more convenient to fill the car with gasoline flex-fuel mixtures containing about 20% ethanol … It ‘started with the economic crisis 2008 staunched new investments in the sector as it was expanding rapidly and deeply in debt. Instead of developing new facilities, the industry has fallen back into the cane crop …