Technology group Wärtsilä has partnered with Brazilian energy company Energetica Suape II S.A to conduct a world-first trial that will see ethanol produced from sugarcane used to generate clean power.
Taking place at the Suape II power station in Recife, Brazil, the trial will test the world’s-first ethanol-fuelled engine for large-scale electricity generation.
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Brazil is the largest producer and user of ethanol from sugarcane, and this partnership aims to demonstrate the significant potential for this local fuel as a clean power source to customers, authorities, and policymakers.
According to the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, the use of biofuels like ethanol will need to almost double by 2030 globally, from generating about 700TWh of electricity in 2023 to around 1,250TWh in 2030. Bioenergy can provide dispatchable, low-emissions power to complement generation from variable renewable energy sources.
“Brazil is a world leader in ethanol production, but its potential use in electricity generation has up to now been overlooked. This project aims to change that by delivering thousands of hours of testing, which we hope will demonstrate the role that ethanol could play in Brazil’s future power system,” Energetica Suape II S.A chief technology officer José Faustino Cândido said.
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As part of the agreement, Wärtsilä will operate up to 4,000 hours of tests on the Wärtsilä 32M engine over two years from April 2026, to ensure the most reliable and efficient operation. It could be the first step in a significant movement towards using ethanol as an energy fuel in the country, and the federal government has included ethanol as fuel option in its upcoming capacity auction, which takes place in June 2025.
This initiative could be a game-changer in advancing sustainable energy solutions and shaping the future of clean power generation in Brazil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and decreasing dependence on fossil fuel imports.
