Rio de Janeiro – The president of Petrobras Biofuels, Alan Kardec, announced today (04) that the company is going to invest US$ 2.4 billion in the biodiesel and ethanol production segment in the 2009-2013 period. Most of the funds (91%) will be spent in Brazil. Total funds represent growth of 87% over the previous plan.
According to Kardec, the figure is part of a total of US$ 2.8 billion that has been earmarked by Petrobras for its biofuels business, also including US$ 400 million for infrastructure works, such as construction of alcohol pipelines. Petrobras has also allocated US$ 530 million for biofuels research during that period. The figures are part of the 2009-2013 Petrobras Business Plan.
Alan Kardec explained that, 80% of the US$ 2.4 billion should be invested in ethanol, and 20% in biodiesel. “One of the company’s main goals is to produce 640 million litres of biodiesel in Brazil by 2013.”
The state-owned enterprise’s plans for 2013 include doubling the production capacity at the Candeias plant (in the state of Bahia), which currently totals to 57 million litres/year; building a new plant in the North of Brazil, with annual production capacity of 115 million litres; and adapting the experimental plants in Guamaré, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, for commercial production.
In addition to the possibility of purchasing two new plants, which is already being analysed, Petrobras Biofuels is also going to work in order to expand production capacity at its plants in Quixadá (state of Ceará) and in Montes Claros (state of Minas Gerais), both with current production capacities of around 57 million litres.
Kardec also highlighted that studies are underway for developing of a joint project with Portuguese company Galp for annual production of 330 million litres of vegetable oil in Brazil and 320 million litres of biodiesel in Portugal.
The subsidiary’s international plans also include implementation of a biodiesel production unit in Africa (115 million litres a year). “Talks with Galp are ongoing and should be concluded within two months. This is very important, as it can make it easier for our products to break into the European market,” said Kardec.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
