09/30/2008 11h40
ALL starts alcohol logistics for exportation
Gazeta Mercantil - 09/30/2008
Latin America Logistic (ALL) is going to start the transportation of alcohol for exportation by the Port of Santos. Director of commodities Eduardo Pelleissone said that the project is in the tests stage and the effectiveness of the transportation depends on investments in the discharge area of the port terminals. "Today, there is not proper infrastructure for this train in Santos. It is necessary that the partners invest in the construction of small discharge ducts", he emphasized. According to him, Cosan and Copersucar should adjust their terminals to receive the wagons transporting alcohol. For this project, ALL will dedicate a fleet of tank-wagons, as alcohol for exportation can not be infected by any other fuel. "For the collection we will use the terminals distributed through the north network (former Brasil Ferrovias) of our railroad. These collection centers were built to meet the transportation of alcohol for the domestic market. Now we will be able to use them also for the collection of the product for exportation", explained Pelleissone. Since the beginning of the year, ALL already transports alcohol for distribution in the domestic market. The company, in partnership with the distributors that are part of the Union of the Combustible Distributors Companies (Sindicom), built 11 cargo concentrating terminals (collection centers) distributed in strategic places in the main producing regions of the states of São Paulo, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, in addition to a railway discharge structure at the Planalto Paulista Refinery (Replan), in Paulínia (SP). According to Pelleissone, the Paulínia terminal receives 5 million cubic meters of alcohol per year. The project demanded investments around R$ 104 million (US$ 54.2 million) used by the distributors of Sindicom and producers of the sugar and alcohol sector. "The funds were destined to the adaptation of the terminal of Paulínia and the construction of collection centers along the network". The railway should transport 1 million cubic meters of alcohol to the São Paulo capital and region in 2009, and it may reach 2 million/year until 2010. The operation has with 250 tank-wagons. The collection centers are installed in Fernandópolis, São José do Rio Preto, Uchoa, Araraquara, Pradópolis, Passagem, Bauru, Araçatuba and Andradina (all in the state of SP), Alto Taquari (MT), and Chapadão do Sul (MS).
