Ecobreves – GUATEMALA:: Great Potential for Ethanol

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

GUATEMALA CITY, Jun 14 2004 (IPS) - This Central American country has the capacity to supply itself with ethanol fuel and reduce vehicular air pollution, but currently lags behind in regards to this technology. According to Marco Dávila, energy director at Guatemala's Ministry of Energy and Mining, a study by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) found some time ago that the country produced 32.9 million tons of sugarcane and 3.6 million tons of sugar each year.

“With that basis, we could produce 183 million liters of ethanol a year to cover the local market,” he said.

Dávila said that one of Guatemala's 17 sugarmills already produces ethanol that is not used as a fuel, and another is being refitted for ethanol production, while the Bio-Ethanol company is building a factory that is to produce 150,000 liters a day to export to the United States beginning in 2005.

Ethanol is an ethyl alcohol product and is used as a fuel oxygenate for internal combustion engines.