World-First Engine Test Converts Sugarcane into Clean Energy
Wärtsilä and Energetica Suape II are carrying out the world’s first large-scale engine trial for power generation in Brazil using ethanol produced primarily from sugarcane as fuel.
Brazilian sugarcane field. Photo: Freepik
Technology group Wärtsilä has partnered with Brazilian energy company Energetica Suape II S.A, majority owned by Grupo Econômico 4M, to conduct a world-first clean energy trial, which will see ethanol – a biofuel mainly 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.
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.
This partnership was initiated by Carlos Alberto Mansur Filho, shareholder of Grupo Econômico 4M, to generate clean and reliable energy. Having an established partnership with Wärtsilä, Mansur selected Wärtsilä for this opportunity due to their shared focus on innovation and clean energy.
“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. It has been made possible thanks to our strong partnership with Wärtsilä and the important backing of Business Finland”, highlights José Faustino Cândido, Chief Technology Officer at Energetica Suape II S.A.
“The Brazilian federal government has taken the first step by including ethanol as an authorised fuel in the upcoming 2025 reserve energy capacity auction. Given that ethanol is a unique, locally available biofuel, the Brazilian government would benefit from ensuring that ethanol-based power plants would be part of the approved power generation technologies for the country. By including flexible and sustainable solutions, the country can provide affordable and reliable energy to the people of Brazil”, says shareholder of Grupo Econômico 4M, Carlos Alberto Mansur Filho.
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.
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