ODEBRECHT TO INVEST IN BRAZILIAN ETHANOL . . .
The Odebrecht Group (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has decided to invest in sugar and alcohol production with the objective of becoming one of the leaders in this market in ten years. This decision is part of an expansion and diversification program initiated by the company.

The group will get involved with production, logistics and commercialization of sugar and ethanol. “We have a well structured plan, so that on mid time, we will be in the top five producers of the area, being involved with new acquisitions or by the development of own business” said Ruy Sampaio, Investment Director of Odebrecht, “Our prime focus will be the Brazilian Market, as we know that one of the products, ethanol, attracts even more attention of the world, to be a green fuel”.

To be one of the leaders in this area, Odebrecht will invest a minimum of $2.5 billion during the next eight years. This investment is necessary to reach the capacity of cane grind, between 30 million and 40 million tons, which is the capacity the Top Leader, Cosan, produces nowadays. Cosan has already announced they will increase capacity to 60 million tons.

Odebrecht will create a new company for this expansion, which has not been announced yet. The new company will be 100 percent Odebrecht, but will comply with partnerships like Eduardo Pereira Carvalho, former Unica and Clayton Higino de Miranda, former Coimex. The two executives have recently built CRZE, a company who would act to attract the capital fund investment to the sugar and ethanol area realizing the actives formalities. With this operation CZRE was incorporated to Odebrecht.

The Odebrecht group is the leader in construction and petrochemical in Latin America. Detains Braskem, the biggest petrochemical in Latin America, recently announced the polyethylene production from alcohol. (Source: Industrial Info Resources)