BRAZIL: Cosan to expand crushing capacity
Published: 03/10/2010, 5:07:31 PM
Brazilian sugar and ethanol company Cosan Industria e Comercio SA is eyeing organic growth to expand its crushing capacity, according to Dow Jones.
Cosan, the world's largest sugar and ethanol company, plans to reach 70 million metric tonnes of crushing capacity in five years, Pedro Mizutani, Cosan's president of sugar and ethanol operations, told Dow Jones Newswires late Tuesday.
Cosan intends to invest in crushing and distilling machinery at its existing mills, he said. This is a more cost effective way of investing than greenfield projects, he said.
Cosan, which has 23 mills, expects to reach its existing crushing capacity of around 60 million tonnes in the upcoming 2010/11 crop season.
The group crushed 53.2 million tonnes from the 2009/10 crop as wet weather hampered the crush.
Cosan's milling should gather pace by the end of March when its key mills will begin harvesting and crushing.