Techno-economic analysis and carbon intensity of sugarcane-corn flex plants in Brazil

Abstract

Given the recent rise in corn ethanol production in Brazil, this work focused on identifying the technical adaptations, as well as quantifying the economic feasibility of incorporating corn processing for ethanol production into a standalone sugarcane distillery (flex plants). Ethanol production increased by >20 % when corn is processed during the sugarcane inter-harvest season, with an incremental Net Present Value (NPV) of 86 to 64 million dollars and a likelihood of profitability of 68 % under the current economic conditions. The flex plants have 30 % higher carbon intensity than the standalone distillery, and the burning of sugarcane straw to provide energy for corn processing is necessary. This highlights a great synergistic opportunity in Brazil to make use of idle equipment in standalone distilleries during the inter-harvest season.