UNICA, SIAM to launch CoE in bioenergy at Auto Expo 2023

In line with the bilateral cooperation between Brazil and India for the promotion of ethanol and its blends in the automotive sector, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) will launch a Virtual Center of Excellence (CoE), at Auto Expo 2023.

Participating at Auto Expo 2023, Brazil will set up a dedicated 250 square metre ethanol experience zone, organised by Unica, Brazilian Ethanol Cluster, ApexBrazil and the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The zone is part of a 3,000 square metre pavilion exclusively dedicated to ethanol, promoted by SIAM. This is the first time that a car show dedicates an entire pavilion to biofuel.

The Brazilian zone will have three sections. The first section will be an ethanol experience zone that will demonstrate the benefits of ethanol, and its technologies including flex fuel vehicles. The second section, ‘Bring back my blue sky’ will give visitors a virtual experience of how ethanol-based fuels can reduce emissions. The final section will be centered around the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in partnership with SIAM.

"We are excited to witness the progress India has made in adopting ethanol over the last few years. We are committed to partnering with SIAM in sharing the Brazil experience and knowledge of ethanol related technologies. The CoE will be a knowledge portal, a hub that will bring together important and up-to-date information on technological advances, technical standards, regulations, public policies, and sustainability related to biomass and bioenergy," said the executive director of UNICA, Eduardo Leao de Sousa.

UNICA’s experience zone at the Auto Expo, open from January 13-18, will host the Virtual Center of Excellence (CoE) that will provide users with information on ethanol, biomass for bioenergy, and sustainability of biofuels. It will provide stakeholders with relevant technological and policy initiatives that will smoothen India’s transition to low-carbon mobility.

The director general of SIAM, Rajesh Menon, said that the CoE will lay the foundation for the two organisations to support and complement the governments' efforts in promoting bioenergy, biofuels, and other bio-based fuels for low-carbon mobility in India and Brazil. "It is truly an honour for SIAM to partner with UNICA in achieving the common goal of low-carbon mobility through a combination of ethanol, technology, and investment," Menon said.

Brazil shows the way in ethanol use

Brazil is the second largest producer of ethanol in the world, after the United States, and is home to the world's largest fleet of cars that use ethanol as fuel. India also has a strong focus on biofuels and has brought forward by five years, to 2025, the goal of achieving a 20% ethanol blend in gasoline. India is the second largest sugar producer in the world, after Brazil, and has the potential to convert surplus sugar stocks into ethanol.

“When flex technology was developed in Brazil two decades ago, the sector responded quickly to demand, expanding production capacity. With this, in addition to diversifying the energy matrix and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we expanded employment and income opportunities in the countryside," said the executive director of the Brazilian Ethanol Cluster, Flavio Castellari. "It is this experience that we want to share with India and the other countries present at the Auto Expo - Motor Show 2023."

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