 "Jair Bolsonaro")
Ethanol will be one of the main items on the agenda of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's official visit to India in January, sugar and ethanol industry group Unica said on Tuesday.
Unica's head, Evandro Gussi, said that the Brazilian government will discuss ways to assist India in boosting its ethanol program, such as increasing production and blending it with gasoline, which could help reduce sugar stocks in the Asian country and boost global prices for the sweetener.
"India could have large economic and environmental benefits boosting its ethanol program," said Gussi, who will be in India with Bolsonaro in the visit.
According to Unica's head, an increase in production and blending of ethanol in India would reduce the need for the government to subsidize the sugar sector and also reduce its oil and gasoline import bills.
He said larger ethanol blending in gasoline could as well help reduce pollution in large cities, a critical problem in India.
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"I was in Delhi during their latest pollution crisis. It was hard to breathe," Gussi said.
Unica estimates that ethanol use in Brazil in 2019 will lead to total emissions reductions of 80 million tonnes of carbon. Brazil blends gasoline with 27% of ethanol, and 90% of the car fleet can run on 100% hydrous ethanol due to flex engines.
"India could sharply reduce pollution with ethanol. It is a low hanging fruit for them," he said.
Gussi said that Unica will promote a road show in February to promote ethanol in other Asian countries such as Thailand, China and Pakistan.
