When the harvesting of sugarcane was done manually, the straw of sugarcane was burned to eliminate snakes and flies. Now, however, with about a 50% mechanical harvest, the sugarcane straw is preserved and its energy can be harnessed in one of two ways:

• More electricity. The straw can be burned alongside bagasse in high-efficiency boilers to produce even more bioelectricity. Experts estimate that sugarcane bioelectricity could reach 11 500 average MW by 2015 if all potential sources are fully developed. That would be enough energy to cover 15% of Brazil’s electricity needs. Or looked at another way, it could power an entire country the size of Sweden or Argentina.

• More ethanol. Straw can also be used as an input to produce the biofuel called cellulosic ethanol. Once perfected at a commercial scale, cellulosic ethanol holds the potential to double the volume of fuel available from the same amount of land planted with sugarcane.

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Bioplastics

With volatile oil prices and growing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, the chemical industry is looking for renewable alternatives to diversify its sources of raw materials. Sugarcane ethanol has emerged as an important ingredient to substitute for petroleum in the production of plastic. These so-called “bioplastics” have the same physical and chemical properties as regular plastic (the most com­mon type is known technically as PET) and maintain full recycling capabilities.

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The benefits of bioplastics are that they are:

• Renewable. Sugarcane replaces 30% or more of the petroleum that would otherwise be used to manufacture the plastic.

• Lower carbon footprint. Each tonne of bioplastic produced avoids the emission of 2-2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide on a lifecycle basis.

The use of bioplastics is still developing. A number of leading companies have already established themselves as major players in this emerging area. In 2009, The Coca-Cola Company launched PlantBottle™ — a bioplastic made with Brazilian sugarcane that the company billed as containing up to 30% plant material and being 100% recyclable. Since then, Coca-Cola has shipped more than 2.5 billion beverages worldwide using PlantBottle packaging.

The production of bioplastic in Brazil is led by national petrochemical giant Braskem. The company has invested around $290 million to produce 200 000 tonnes of sugarcane-based polyethylene annually in southern Brazil.

Another form of bioplastic is polyhydroxybutyrate manufactured by PHB Industrial S/A using 100% Brazilian technology. This bioplastic, which goes by the branded name Biocycle, is produced entirely from sugarcane bagasse or municiple waste, making it completely biodegradable and compostable. Biocycle can be used in autoparts, cosmetics packaging, toys, credit cards, cutlery, agricultural parts, and more.

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