US-based Summit Agricultural Group on Tuesday announced a major expansion of the recently opened FS Bioenergia corn ethanol plant in Brazil that will raise its annual output to 140 million gallons (530 million litres) from 60 million gallons.

About USD 100 million (EUR 80m) will be invested in the expansion project, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019.

The plant, located in Lucas do Rio Verde in the state of Mato Grosso, is a partnership between Summit Agricultural Group and local agribusiness Fiagril. It started initial production in the middle of 2017 as Brazil's first corn-only ethanol plant.

"Today, we're more convinced than ever of the potential for corn ethanol in Mato Grosso," said Summit Agricultural Group chief executive Bruce Rastetter.

The upbeat view is based on increased production of affordable corn through double cropping and also the RenovaBio programme seeking to double the use of renewable fuels by 2030, the company says. In Mato Grosso, corn production has increased five-fold over the last decade, it notes.

Article by Renewables Now: Summit Agricultural to expand corn ethanol plant in Brazil