Energias Renováveis do Brasil, a benchmark enterprise in the generation of biomass, announced the signing of a contract for the cogeneration of power and steam from sugarcane bagasse biomass with the SVAA – “Santa Vitoria Açúcar e Álcool” - ethanol producing complex, controlled by a joint venture between Dow Chemical and Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

As envisioned by ERB, the investment, installation and operation of a cogenerating unit will use bagasse and straw from sugarcane as biomass. This plant, located in the municipality of Santa Vitoria in Minas Gerais, will have an investment of approximately R$237 million; launch of operations is foreseen for 2014. The plant shall generate 46 MW of power and 230 tons of steam per hour, consuming approximately 108 tons of sugarcane mash per hour. “The outsourcing of the management of utilities is a trend in the chemical and petrochemical segment and allows the companies that opt for this model to guarantee that their teams have more focus in their businesses’ main activities,” emphasizes Emilio Rietmann, ERB´s CEO.

ERB develops technical studies for the future use of other biomass sources in its enterprises and, in the case of Santa Vitoria Açúcar e Álcool, has already started research on types of grasses that may result in an attractive energy model due to their good adaptability to industrial processing and to their short growth period.