WBA news

Brazil is a powerhouse in terms of the production and use of bioenergy technologies. It is a world leader in sugarcane production and is one of the largest consumers of bioethanol for decarbonizing the transport sector. Bagasse – a byproduct of sugarcane processing – provides a significant amount of renewable power to the mills as well as to the external electric grid.  

To understand the development of bioenergy in the country as well as connect with stakeholders in the biomass to energy value chain, the World Bioenergy Association conducted the General Assembly in São Paulo on 22 October. The GA was held in conjunction with the IEA Bioenergy – BBEST conference along with a site visit to the Iracema sugar mill (one of the four mills owned by the São Martinho group), located 180 km north west of São Paulo. 

Itinerary:

• 21 October: Arrival in São Paulo 
• 22 October (AM): WBA General Assembly 2024
• 22 October (PM): IEA Bioenergy BBEST Conference 
• 23 – 24 October: IEA Bioenergy BBEST Conference 
• 25 October: Site Visit to Iracema sugar mill 
• 26 October: Departure from São Paulo 

At the WBA General Assembly held on 22 October, a new board was elected along with election of Christian Rakos as the President of the WBA for another term. Members and board members joined the discussions physically as well as virtually – to share experiences on bioenergy development around the world and develop straategies to overcome barriers.  

During October 22 – 24, the IEA Bioenergy TCP held its trienium conference together with BIOEN/FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) and Bioenergy Society (SBE). The conference titled Bioenergy Conference 2024: Bioenergy and Bioproducts, was a highly succesful one with more than 300 participants from 30+ countries including researchers, students, and private sector. WBA President Christian Rakos participated in a plenary session on policies and Director Bharadwaj Kummamuru moderated a session on biofuels in emerging markets.  

On the final day, the delegates had an opportunity to Iracema mill located in the town of Iracemapolis. The mill is almost 80 years old and has a processing capacity of 3.5 million tons of sugarcane per harvest. It owns 70% of the sugarcane area grown nearby and employs approx. 2000 people. The plant is quite flexible in producing both sugar and ethanol depending on market conditions. Continous innovations in not just processing, but also pest control, logistics, seed planting, organic fertilizers etc. are some of the reasons for success.   

 A full report on Brazil and the site visits will be available in our upcoming white paper to be published in November 2024. WBA expresses our sincere gratitude to Prof. Glaucia Souza for the invitation and assistance.