The head of Brazil’s ETH Bio Energy Company stated recently that the company plans to invest US$3.6 billion in the next seven years to produce ethanol that is used as a raw material for polyethylene (PK). By 2015, the company plans to build 10 ethanol plants with a total sugar cane processing capacity of 45 million tons/year.
According to the person in charge, the technology for producing ethylene using ethanol as a raw material has been industrialized, and the produced ethylene will be used as a raw material for Brazil's existing two sets of PE devices. ETH also plans to begin construction of its own PE plant later this year with a design capacity of 300,000 tons per year, which is expected to be completed by mid-2010.
Since various funds have been involved in the ethanol-made PE industry chain, Brazil will have 4 billion liters/year of ethanol used for ethylene production by 2015, which is equivalent to about 10% of Brazilian ethanol used in road transport in 2015.
According to the person in charge, the technology for producing ethylene using ethanol as a raw material has been industrialized, and the produced ethylene will be used as a raw material for Brazil's existing two sets of PE devices. ETH also plans to begin construction of its own PE plant later this year with a design capacity of 300,000 tons per year, which is expected to be completed by mid-2010.
Since various funds have been involved in the ethanol-made PE industry chain, Brazil will have 4 billion liters/year of ethanol used for ethylene production by 2015, which is equivalent to about 10% of Brazilian ethanol used in road transport in 2015.