Genesis and consolidation of the Brazilian bioethanol: A review of policies and incentive mechanisms

The Growth of Biofuels in the 21st Century

“…This was especially so in the NNE, given the already parlous state of the economy, with poor infrastructure and inefficient sugarcane production. Thus Johnson (1983: 248) emphasises the role of the IAA in stabilising the domestic sugar price, whilst Puerto Rico et al (2010Rico et al ( : 1875 highlight the role played by ethanol in enabling producers to accommodate and offset the impact of fluctuating sugar prices. The IAA was given complete control of the market, regulating the amount of cane going for its various products (sugar, ethanol and molasses).…”

“…The IAA was given complete control of the market, regulating the amount of cane going for its various products (sugar, ethanol and molasses). The only exception was the cane used in the 'traditional sector' (Johnson, 1983: 247) 2 , although the first mandate for blending ethanol into petrol, at 5 per cent, came slightly ahead of the IAA, in 1931 (Hira andGuilherme de Oliveira, 2009: 2451;Puerto Rico et al, 2010: 1876-1877. The creation of the IAA reflected these economic and social factors, but also (and not unrelated) the establishment of a new dictatorship under Getúlio Vargas.…”

Bolivia and Paraguay: A beacon for sustainable electric mobility?

“…During this period, petroleum fuels became the main vehicular energy sources, aligning automobile and oil market structures with commercial and production practices as well as marketing arrangements. According to Puerto Rico et al [3] and Dimitri and Effland [4], the economic interests of three production sectors were aligned: the exploration and refining of petroleum, chemicals and automotive, a strategy strongly pursued respectively by major representative companies: Standard Oil and its spinoffs, Du Pont and General Motors.…”

Using factorial design to increase the efficiency on a small-scale ethanol distillation

“…In Brazil, at 2010 year, the ethanol and sugar sector accounted for 19.1% of the primary energy supply [1]. This is due largely to the Brazilian Alcohol Program, whose incentives have transformed ethanol fuel into an alternative to gasoline [2][3][4][5]. This program is considered the largest program for ethanol production in the world [2], leading Brazil to be an important player in the international ethanol trade market [6].…”