From sugar strategy to energy strategy : A historical perspective on the Brazilian ethanol system

Sammanfattning: In 1975 the Brazilian military regime launched a state project called the National Alcohol Program, colloquially referred to as Proálcool, aimed at expanding the domestic production of sugarcane ethanol fuel (alcohol). The initiative was introduced in the wake of the international oil crisis in 1973, but even before that, ethanol had been used for decades in blends with gasoline to power automobiles. The purpose of this study is to examine when and how the Brazilian ethanol system originated, and later expanded from 1975 to 1979, as a result of the institution of the National Alcohol Program (Proálcool). The ambition is to discuss this development from a history of technology perspective. The study was conducted as a literature review. Some key findings suggest that the planned expansion of the ethanol system was initially a relief measure for the sugar industry, rather than an effort to reduce Brazils dependency on foreign oil. However, the expansion was later motivated as an energy strategy.