Rhodia signs agreement with Paraíso plant for cogeneration
Valor Econômico
The French multinational Rhodia closed an agreement in Brazil with the plant Paraíso Bionergia, of Brotas (SP), to develop biomass projects, from sugar cane waste, (SP). This contract is part of a package of 20 undertakings, estimated in € 1 billion, where the multinational will participate with € 200 million. In an interview to Valor, Philippe Rosier, President of Rhodia Energy Services, said that the company will also bring to the country a technology that the multinational is developing in Asia for cogeneration of energy from the stillage (waste from sugar and alcohol) for the conversion into biogas. Agreements to that end must be sealed in the coming months.
Founded in 2000, the energy division of Rhodia began to develop sustainable projects in developing countries. "We have two units operating cogeneration energy from the stillage in Asia and another three under construction", said Rosier. These units are located in China, Vietnam and Malaysia.
The Paraíso plant has capacity to process nearly 2.5 million tons of cane per harvest, said the vice president of Rhodia Energy in Latin America, Elder Martini. The cane will be used by the company as raw material to produce electricity. According to the agreement between the two companies, Paraíso will provide for Rhodia bagasse and cane straw, on an exclusive basis. Most of the electricity generated by this cogeneration unit will be sold in the free energy market. The sugarcane mill will also be self-sufficient in energy production for own consumption. The Paraíso plant will have installed capacity of 70 megawatts (MW) and will produce enough electricity to serve 200 thousand households or 600 thousand people.
In Brazil, Rhodia is among the largest consumers of ethanol for industrial purposes - there are about 500 million gallons per year. The industrial alcohol market for chemicals and pharmaceutical industries in the country handle a volume of more than 1.5 billion gallons per year, according to the Union of the Sugarcane Industry (Unica).
The country has become this years an important platform of performance of the French multinational in the world. Since July, Brazil accounts for the divisions of phenol (used for production of resins) and solvents of Rhodia, an area that accounts for 50% of the company's revenue in the country, and also by the segment of fibers (industrial yarns). The company intends to invest in the country about US$ 200 million over the next three years. This value, not including acquisitions, will be to promote the company's organic growth in the country, according to information of the group in a recent interview to Valor.