Brazil: DuPont sets up fuel R&D unit at Paulinia

The US multinational DuPont has just inaugurated its new innovation & technology center at Paulinia (Sao Paulo), via investments in R$4.5mil. One of the main focus of the laboratory will be the development of second generation biofuels, targeting the European market. Idea is to be studying three techniques to implement the latest technology and reduce emission of pollutants; the first would be focusing in the transformation of pulp into ethanol; then the development of a diesel additive composed by ethanol; the final stage is focused in studies regarding the biobutanol. According to its Latin American president Eduardo Wanick, the biobutanol is 27% more efficient than the ethanol, plus it does not absorbs or blends with water. Wanick believes Brazil could turn into exportation platform of second generation biofuels. DuPont is probably launching a pilot project for production of biobutanol made of wheat in England yet this year. After the researches with sugarcane in the Brazilian market, DuPont hopes to inaugurate similar project in the country as of 2012. Since 2003, when DuPont created an innovation & technology project directed to emergent countries, sales in these regions rose gradually and are currently representing 25% of turnover, which was of US$30 billion in 2008. (July 2, 2009)