替代能源已经开发成为不可再生化石燃料的更便宜、更清洁的替代品，可以减少全球变暖和对石油资源丰富国家的依赖。巴西凭借其在生物燃料领域超过 30 年的经验脱颖而出，主要利用甘蔗生产酒精，小规模生产生物柴油，并从含油植物中开发生物煤油作为飞机燃料。
自 16 世纪被葡萄牙人殖民以来，巴西一直种植甘蔗来制糖。然而，在第一次世界石油危机中，当美国每桶石油的价格从1973年9月的$2.91涨到1975年3月的$12.45时，国家开始推进以酒精为燃料的研究。 1975 年 11 月 14 日，创建了国家酒精计划，后来被称为 Pro-Alcohol。 1979年，第一辆搭载100%酒精发动机的汽车菲亚特147在巴西市场上市。研究表明，当原油每桶成本在$36以上时，乙醇在经济上是可行的，远低于目前$58的价格。
Pro-Alcohol 在 20 世纪 80 年代末达到顶峰，当时巴西车辆的 90% 配备了酒精发动机。在经历了一些高潮和低谷之后，该计划几乎被淘汰了。从 1995 年到 2000 年，酒精发动机的制造几乎为零。
Today, with the price of petroleum at approximately $60/barrel, the situation is very different. The use of ethanol from sugarcane is part of the everyday routine for Brazilians. One million people are estimated to be employed in sugarcane cultivation (750,000 direct jobs and 250,000 indirect jobs) in over 50,000 agribusinesses and 350 alcohol/sugar manufacturing sites. The market share of automobiles that run on alcohol or alcohol-gasoline (known as “flex system”) was around 52% in June 2005 and should reach 80% by 2010. In order to respond to ethanol demand (exports included), Brazil will need to produce 100 billion liters of fuel in the next 20 years.
保持领先
Brazil is the largest world producer of ethanol for fuel, followed by the US, which uses corn as a biomass source that provides a much lower energetic conversion than sugarcane. The two countries produce 70% of the world’s ethanol.
正在快速研究其他乙醇来源。纤维素就是这种情况，与玉米和甘蔗相比，它具有许多优势，包括更高的生物量生产、更少的集约化作物种植以及使用有机废物等原材料。当地科学家估计，在完全了解酸水解技术后，到 2009 年纤维素乙醇将成为可能。
支持巴西农业
尽管由于不利的货币汇率加剧了收获挫折，巴西农业企业在过去两年中经历了危机，但由于以下原因，甘蔗仍为该行业保持了正收入：
- 全球食糖价格上涨以及向美国、荷兰和日本出口酒精，在 2006/07 收成时达到约 30 亿升（尽管美国进口税非常高，每加仑 $0.54市场）。
- 在汽油中加入20%至24%乙醇，相当于60亿升/年。
- 由于灵活燃料技术的普及，乙醇的使用量增加，自 2003 年开始使用，目前已用于超过 200 万辆汽车。
- 与仅汽油相比更具竞争力的价格。
2006 年，食糖出口在农产品出口中排名第二，仅次于大豆。拥有甘蔗作物知识并位于适当区域的大豆种植者增加了甘蔗种植面积，损害了大豆的种植面积。 Agromen 的情况就是如此，它将其大豆种植面积从 25,000 公顷 (Ha) 减少到 19,000 公顷，并将甘蔗种植面积从 7,000 公顷增加到总计 40,000 公顷。
回应需求
Brazil is the greatest world producer of sugarcane with a planted area of 6.2 million Ha. The State of São Paulo is the main producer, with over 50% of the country’s planted area.
Still, to respond to the global ethanol demand, Brazil needs to build at least 100 new mills by 2010. Currently, Brazil’s production capacity is 17 billion liters per year, with 248 mills operating in the mid-south and 88 in the northeast. According to an official survey, in the next five years, 89 mills shall start operating, with an estimated capacity of 6 billion liters, and 40% of this production will be directed to global markets.
到 2012/13 收获季，甘蔗产量约为 4.25 亿吨，将增至 6.85 亿吨。作为激励，政府将提供充足的低利率信贷。
Globally, if there is a replacement of 10% of gasoline by ethanol, the demand shall be of 220 billion liters. For that to happen, flex fuel technology is believed to be fundamental. Brazil could take up 50% of this market, or 110 billion liters. Around $10 billion in investments would be necessary, and an increase from 6 million Ha to 30 million Ha in planted area, or 10% of Brazil’s total agricultural area. In terms of the potential market for pesticides, it represents around $1.8 billion of herbicides and insecticides, or 50% of the current total pesticides market of Brazil.
优势与挑战
The perspectives in this sector are very optimistic, with various large companies preparing to compete within it. Petrobras, Brazil’s stated-owned corporation that holds exclusive alcohol distribution rights, has associated with the Japanese company Mitsui, which plans to build 30 to 40 mills in the country, with production destined for export. England’s investment company 巴西清洁能源，在 Temple Capital Partners 旗下，主要专注于酒类，并打算投资至少四家工厂。法国集团 Louis Dreyfus 收购了四家工厂，并已成为糖和酒精的主要生产商之一。
尽管有所有这些有利的前景，但仍然存在挑战。必须建立调节库存；根据收成稳定价格；打击销售点的非法商业化、逃税和酒精掺假；扩大全球生物燃料市场；将乙醇变成全球商品；发展区域伙伴关系，主要是在拉丁美洲；制定政府指令，鼓励乙醇出口、工厂建设和设备技术以及灵活燃料发动机；减少或取消对进入美国市场的产品征收的进口税。如果所有这些问题都得到解决（许多问题正在进行中），巴西的乙醇生产就能发挥其最大潜力。