Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) has approved financing of BRL 80.2 million (USD 14.2m/EUR 12m) for upgrades of an ethanol facility, including the construction of a 30-MW biomass power plant.
The new project will take place in the Usina Laguna plant and will use sugarcane bagasse as fuel. Located in the municipality of Bataypora, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Usina Laguna currently produces hydrous ethanol used fuels and in the pharmaceutical sector.
Expected to begin power generation in 2022, the new biomass power facility should be able to generate enough electricity to meet the demand of 15,000 local homes.
In addition to the implementation of the biomass generation capacity, the money will also be used to expand Usina Laguna’s ethanol storage and cane crushing capacities and renew the plant’s sugarcane field, BNDES noted.
(BRL 1 = USD 0.177/EUR 0.151)