BP and Copersucar in JV to operate major Brazil ethanol terminal

BP Biofuels and Brazilian sugar and ethanol trader Copersucar have agreed a joint venture to own and operate an ethanol storage terminal in Sao Paulo State.

A BP statement said the new terminal would "better and flexibly" connect ethanol production with Brazil's main fuels markets.

Copersucar has the largest sugar and ethanol storage capacity in Brazil, while BP Biofuels, part of BP’s Alternative Energy business, is a major producer of ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil.

The 50/50 joint venture will own and operate the Terminal Copersucar de Etanol in Paulinia, which is currently solely owned by Copersucar. 

BP said the JV would enable the company to extend and expand its existing chain of operations to meet growing demand.

The Paulinia terminal has 10 tanks with a total storage capacity of 180 million litres of ethanol and moves around 2.3 billion litres per year, with the possibility of further expansion, the statement said. 

The terminal is located in one of Brazil’s main fuels hubs and is linked to important transport networks, pipelines, and will soon be connected to Brazil's railway system.