A technology developed by Vale Soluções em Energia (VSE) has made Brazil the first country in the world to test ethanol to generate electricity in Antarctica. The project is taking place in partnership with Petrobras, the Brazilian navy, and the Secretariat of Brazil’s Inter-ministerial Commission for Sea Resources (SECIRM).
A product of research by VSE, the ethanol-powered motor-generator will be evaluated for 12 months in the harsh conditions of Antarctica. The electric power produced will light the Commander Ferraz Antarctic Station, the base for Brazil’s scientific research on the continent.
Ethanol
Made from plants such as sugarcane, ethanol is already widely used to power vehicles in Brazil, either pure or mixed with gasoline. The fuel has a series of advantages over diesel in terms of atmospheric emissions:
- 68% lower fossil fuel CO2 emissions;
- Does not emit sulfur compounds;
- Does not emit particulate matter;
- 50% less noise when compared with diesel motors of similar power.
VSE is a company established by Vale in partnership with Brazil’s national development bank, BNDES.