Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Sugarcane Provides 18 Percent of Energy

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Sep 13 2010 (IPS) - Nearly half the energy consumed in Brazil comes from renewable sources, thanks in large part to sugarcane, according to the Sustainable Development Indicators of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). In 2009, renewable sources met 47.2 percent of national energy demand. Sugarcane contributed 18 percent, combining the totals from carburant alcohol (ethanol) and electricity from sugarcane pulp and crop waste.

Ten years ago, sugarcane represented 10.9 percent of the total, and has grown more than the national energy demand, which has remained nearly stable.

The portion provided by fossil fuels and nuclear energy fell from 57.7 to 52.8 percent between 1999 and 2009.

“All of the sources present advantages and disadvantages,” IBGE environmental analyst Judicael Clevelario Junior told Tierramérica. “Sugarcane requires large concentrations of land and the use of agro-toxins in its production.”