Corn Ethanol Set to Dominate Brazil's Ethanol Output by 2028

Brazil's corn-based ethanol industry is on track to become the main source of growth in the country's overall ethanol production, according to estimates from StoneX. By 2028, corn ethanol is expected to account for around one-third of Brazil's total ethanol output.

The projections indicate that corn ethanol will rise from 27% of the country's total ethanol output in the 2026-27 season to 33.6% in 2027-28. This growth is attributed to eight new plants scheduled to begin operations and five existing facilities undergoing capacity expansions.

Production capacity is projected to reach 38,900 cubic metres a day in April 2027 and increase to 51,200 cubic metres a day by the end of March 2028. As a result, corn ethanol production is estimated to reach 13.6 billion litres in the 2027-28 season, representing a 29.7% increase from the previous year.