Why Electrification Won’t Kill Ethanol, According To Biofuels Executive

NEW YORK — A global push by governments and automakers to electrify vehicles doesn’t mean the end of ethanol as a product, says an executive at the world’s largest ethanol producer. biofuel.

There are industries that need to use biofuels to reduce over and above the demand that continues to exist in countries such as Brazil and India that produce biofuels and are seen as slow adopters of EVs. emissions Paula Kovarsky, Chief Strategy Officer at Raízen SA in Brazil, says if electrification is not a viable option:

In an interview held in New York late Tuesday, Koworsky said she was on board with a series of climate conferences next week, adding that so-called “hard to undermine” sectors such as shipping and commercial aviation are in the biotech sector. said to be a strong future target for fuel. , even as Electric car can be used Fuel cell for the conversion of ethanol to hydrogen run the electric motor.

“For automakers, with the same electric vehicle model, battery In Europe and the United States, Brazil and India can replace that battery with a fuel cell and use ethanol,” she said.

Automakers such as Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen hybrid The technology uses ethanol in the car to produce hydrogen, which feeds the electric motor.

Experts think it makes sense in a place like Brazil with an extensive ethanol distribution system. However, since automakers have global production plans, it is questionable whether they will produce cars to meet the needs of specific regions.

Kovarsky sees ethanol as a potential sustainable aviation fuel and as a bio-bunker fuel for ships.