Citrotec^® attended the 3rd International Unem Datagro Conference on Corn Ethanol, held on April 16 in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil—one of the leading events in this segment in the country.

The event was organized by the National Corn Ethanol Union in partnership with Datagro, bringing together industry leaders, producers, investors, suppliers, and government representatives to discuss the strategic role of corn ethanol in Brazil’s energy matrix.

For Citrotec^®, participating in events like this is essential to closely follow industry trends and strengthen relationships with the market. “Being present at an event of this importance allows us to better understand the sector’s challenges and opportunities, while reinforcing our position as partners in developing solutions for the industry,” says Citrotec^® Industrial Director, Paulo Sampaio.

The conference took place at a time of strong expansion in Brazil’s corn ethanol industry. For the 2025/26 harvest, production is expected to exceed 8 billion liters, consolidating the country as one of the world’s leading hubs for this technology. This growth is closely linked to the advancement of flex plants, which use both corn and sugarcane, ensuring greater efficiency and better use of industrial capacity throughout the year.

Innovation, challenges, and the future of corn etanol

The conference program provided a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the corn ethanol landscape, covering everything from technological advances and production expansion to discussions on public policies and national and international market trends.

Among the main topics discussed were structural challenges in the production chain, such as logistics, access to financing, and regulation, as well as opportunities driven by technological advancements in ethanol plants. Brazil’s role in the energy transition was also highlighted, with biofuels playing a central part in this movement.

In this context, corn ethanol continues to strengthen as an increasingly relevant alternative—not only for its economic viability, but also for its strategic contribution to the future of agribusiness. The integration between agriculture and industry was identified as one of the key drivers of this growth, creating opportunities for producers and reducing dependence on grain exports, thereby bringing greater market stability.

Another important aspect is the use of co-products generated during the process, such as DDG/DDGS, widely used in animal feed. This by-product has helped increase the competitiveness of livestock production, especially in producing regions, generating positive impacts on local economies and further strengthening the corn ethanol value chain.

Citrotec^® solutions for corn etanol

Attentive to the sector’s demands, Citrotec^® develops technologies that help increase process efficiency and make corn ethanol production more sustainable.

Ecovin^® is an evaporator for concentrating corn stillage that operates using the descending turbulent mist principle. This technology significantly reduces stillage volume and enables closed-loop plant operation, eliminating the need to send stillage to the field by incorporating it into DDG. The system has a daily production capacity of 130 m³.

Ecovin JL^® also concentrates corn stillage based on the same principle, but with an important advantage: its integration with distillation columns. This allows ethanol to be produced with already concentrated stillage, without additional steam consumption, improving the process’s energy efficiency.

Another highlight is the ENET^® MVR, a single-effect, multi-stage turbulent mist evaporator that incorporates Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) technology. “This equipment allows for increased utilization of bagasse, which is especially relevant in flex plants that produce both sugarcane and corn ethanol. With this efficiency, it is possible to operate a corn ethanol plant year-round without the need to purchase additional fuel,” adds Sampaio.