BP unit to expand Brazilian ethanol plant

BP Biofuels will spend $350 million to double the capacity of its Tropical sugarcane mill in Edeia, Goias State, Brazil, in a project that will enable the facility to process 5 million tons/year of sugarcane and produce 450 million l./year of ethanol equivalent.

The facility also will be able to supply about 340 Gw-hr of electricity to the Brazilian national grid. The expanded facility is expected to reach full operation late in 2014 or early in 2015.

BP owns 100% of the Tropical mill and operates two other Brazilian ethanol mills in Itumbiara in Goias and Ituiutaba in Minas Gerais.