Brazil’s ethanol industry continued its rapid expansion during the second half of April, driven by a sharp increase in sugarcane processing and sustained growth in corn-based ethanol production.
According to data released by the Brazilian sugarcane industry association UNICA, mills in the country’s south-central region processed 40.06 million metric tonnes of sugarcane during the second half of April, more than double the 17.96 million tonnes crushed during the same period a year earlier.
Since the start of the 2026-27 harvest season on April 1, total sugarcane crushing has reached 60.46 million tonnes, reflecting the strong pace of operations across the region.
Brazil’s biofuel sector also expanded its production base, with 238 biorefineries operating by the end of April. These included 219 units dedicated to sugarcane processing, 10 corn ethanol plants and nine facilities capable of processing both sugarcane and corn.
Ethanol output during the second half of April reached 2.04 billion litres. Production included 1.41 billion litres of hydrous ethanol and 628.64 million litres of anhydrous ethanol, highlighting strong performance across both fuel categories.
Corn ethanol continued to play an increasingly important role in Brazil’s renewable fuel industry. Production from corn reached 392.48 million litres during the period, accounting for 19.25 per cent of total ethanol output. This represented a year-on-year increase of 9.37 per cent.
The strong performance extended to the overall season. Since the beginning of the harvest in April, total ethanol production has climbed to 3.29 billion litres, an increase of 71.84 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.
Hydrous ethanol production reached 2.3 billion litres, recording growth of 58.47 per cent, while anhydrous ethanol production rose sharply by 110.07 per cent to 982.88 million litres.
Corn ethanol production for the season stood at 804.42 million litres, reflecting an increase of 12.21 per cent over the same period last year and reinforcing its growing contribution to Brazil’s biofuel mix.
Demand remained strong alongside rising production. Ethanol sales in Brazil’s south-central region totalled 2.74 billion litres in April, comprising 1.76 billion litres of hydrous ethanol and 985.68 million litres of anhydrous ethanol.
The latest figures underline the continued growth of Brazil’s biofuel industry, where expanding sugarcane harvests and increasing corn ethanol production are helping strengthen fuel supplies and support the country’s position as one of the world’s leading producers of renewable transportation fuels.
