01|02|2010 - 11h06International partnerships consolidate CTBE's R&D

Two important agreements were signed with European research institutions.

By CTBE

To make national ethanol from sugarcane a productive and sustainable biofuel the Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory (CTBE) will have partnerships with major research institutions in Brazil and abroad. This can be seen in two important international agreements were announced last month, during the inauguration of CTBE in Campinas, São Paulo. Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated of this event.

The first agreement was signed with the Imperial College London, England. The English institution is interested in joint studies in the biofuels sustainability area, especially the 2nd generation ethanol produced from wood and sugarcane biomass.

CTBE and Imperial College researchers will also join efforts in the development of new technologies for the production of biofuels and in studies on biorefineries. According to the researcher at Imperial College Richard Templer, the interest Europeans in these issues has increased mainly, due to the effects of global climate changes.

Another international agreement announced by CTBE during its inauguration was signed with Lund University, Sweden. The Swedish university has 25 years research experience on 2nd generation ethanol, especially in the pre-treatment of lignocellulosic material (bagasse, for example) and pentoses fermentation.

Guido Zacchi, chemical engineer and researcher at Lund University, comments that the creation of CTBE not only brings benefits to Brazilian science and technology. "The advanced laboratory equipments and Pilot Plant will provide a united global R&D effort on production of ethanol from biomass. The instruments of analysis processes that are being installed at the CTBE are difficult to be reproduced in Brazilian individual research centers", adds Zacchi.

Last November, still under implementation, CTBE signed another agreement for international cooperation, this one with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), USA. NREL is one of the main energy research center in the world.

Related News

• 25|03|2010 - House bill extends ethanol tax breaks to 2016
• 19|03|2010 - Aiming for a no-carbon economy
• 11|03|2010 - No need to sacrifice food for fuel
• 04|03|2010 - Sao Paulo cane expansion no threat to other crops
• 27|02|2010 - EU biofuels significantly harming food production
• 22|02|2010 - Flex-fuel bikes and cars show robust Brazilian sales
• 18|02|2010 - ETH acquires Brenco and becomes new big ethanol player
• 05|02|2010 - Obama eyes biofuels, clean coal in new climate push
• 02|02|2010 - Shell, Cosan Plan Ethanol, Fuel Distribution Venture in Brazil
• 21|01|2010 - New Brazilian laboratory will develop research on ethanol
• 11|09|2007 - Brazil’s bioethanol boom breaks records
• 24|08|2009 - Brazil's Brenco in talks for stake sale
• 17|07|2009 - Beneficial Biofuels—The Food, Energy, and Environment
• 15|07|2009 - Brazilian ethanol attracts bioplastics investors
• 10|07|2009 - More Ethanol in Gasoline will damage cars, say automakers
• 08|07|2009 - Wyoming plant making ethanol from trees
• 15|06|2009 - Cellulose in Campinas
• 15|06|2009 - Sudan's First Ethanol Plant Was Made in Brazil
• 15|06|2009 - Brazil Energy Investments Increasingly Mix Oil, Biofuels
• 15|06|2009 - Biofuels and ‘Land Grabs’ in Poor Nations
• 13|06|2009 - Brazil mills prefer sugar despite biofuel boost
• 06|06|2009 - Brazil must save forests in ethanol push: Clinton