July 2025
Citrotec® presents three new technologies for the sugar-energy sector at Fenasucro 2025
Innovations aim to increase energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and improve byproduct utilization in plants.
Citrotec®, a reference in technological solutions for the citrus and sugar-energy sectors, will present three unprecedented launches during Fenasucro & Agrocana 2025, the world's largest bioenergy event, which will be held from August 12 to 15 in Sertãozinho (SP).
“We are bringing technologies that emerged from active listening to customers and that reflect our mission to promote more efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness for the sector,” highlights Citrotec® Industrial Director, Paulo Sampaio.
Among the novelties that will be presented at the company's booth are the ENET®MVR, the Double Effect Economical Vacuum Hydrous Ethanol Distillery, and the 2nd Generation Economical Vacuum MEG Device – solutions developed to increase energy utilization, reduce steam consumption, and improve the quality of final products in plants.
ENET®MVR
The ENET®MVR is a 1-effect, multi-stage turbulent mist evaporator that incorporates the Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) process.
Unprecedented in the sector, it represents a significant advance for plants seeking to increase their energy efficiency, with significant fuel savings (sugarcane bagasse), reduced operating costs, and increased productivity without the need to invest in new boilers.
The ENET®MVR is equipped with an electric mechanical compressor, from the renowned German manufacturer Piller, to decompress the vapor generated in the effect in order to raise the pressure and temperature, thus feeding the shell of the effect itself as a thermal source.
The technology is aimed at the concentration of sugarcane juice, a fundamental step in the production of sugar and ethanol, and provides energy savings of up to 50% compared to conventional evaporators.
Sampaio emphasizes that the equipment is especially advantageous for plants that wish to increase their production without expanding steam generation. “With the ENET®MVR, it is possible to obtain up to 50% more concentrated juice with the same volume of installed steam. This represents a real opportunity for growth with lower investment.”
In addition, the ENET®MVR presents a very low fouling level, a characteristic already established in ENETs® models. Due to the design, which uses the highest state of the art in automation, the equipment will operate 100% automatically, without downtime for CIP, an unprecedented feat in the sector. The juice residence time is reduced, improving the quality of the syrup and sugar produced, with an excellent color standard.
Another strategic differential is its application in the concentration of C5 and C6 juices in the manufacture of second-generation ethanol (produced from sugarcane bagasse). The high energy efficiency of the ENET®MVR allows saving bagasse and, with the surplus raw material, producing more 2G ethanol.
Citrotec® also foresees a strong impact of the technology in the corn ethanol sector, where energy costs are higher. “The ENET®MVR allows multiplying the use of bagasse. This is an important feature in “flex” plants, which produce sugarcane and corn ethanol. With this savings, it is possible to operate a corn ethanol plant all year round without purchasing other fuel,” highlights Sampaio.
To validate the new technology, the company made a strategic investment in the development and installation of a pilot plant for the technology, unprecedented, 100% automatic and connected via satellite to collect and prove the data, guaranteeing reliable results for the sector. “Our commitment is to deliver innovation with responsibility. We only bring proven solutions to the market,” adds Sampaio.
Double Effect Economical Vacuum Hydrous Ethanol Distillery
The Double Effect Economical Vacuum Hydrous Ethanol Distillery offers extremely high-performance distillation with reduced steam consumption — just 1.5 kg/L of ethanol for standard cane wines.
The double-effect technology allows for the efficient production of high-purity hydrous ethanol while optimizing resources and reducing operating costs.
"This distillery is the result of years of research, field experience, and active listening to our customers. It combines the most advanced automation with a national, modular, and quick-installation design," states Sampaio.
The fully automated operation and simplified assembly provide greater agility in system implementation, while the modular design ensures flexibility for different plant profiles.
Manufactured with 100% national technology, the distillery reinforces Citrotec®'s commitment to sustainable, economical solutions adapted to the needs of the Brazilian market.
2nd Generation Economical Vacuum MEG Device for Anhydrous Ethanol Production
Result of continuous investment in innovation and industrial efficiency, the 2nd Generation Economical Vacuum MEG Device for Anhydrous Ethanol Production is an evolution of ethanol dehydration technology using MEG (monoethylene glycol), with significant gains in economy and quality.
The process occurs under vacuum, which ensures greater purity of the anhydrous ethanol produced, in addition to reducing steam consumption to just 0.3 kg/L of ethanol – approximately 40% more economical than systems with molecular sieves.
Another differential lies in the continuous and automated operation, which eliminates the complexity of traditional processes, in addition to providing lower contamination risk, thanks to the ion exchange columns integrated into the project.
Manufactured with national technology, the device has a modular and optimized design, which allows for quick assembly and commissioning, with very low plant downtime.
“We believe that this technology can transform the anhydrous ethanol production scenario in Brazil, bringing more competitiveness to plants of all sizes. Our goal is to offer a solution with lower operating costs and high reliability, maintaining Citrotec®'s standard of excellence,” states Sampaio.
Fenasucro 2025
Visit the Citrotec® booth at Fenasucro & Agrocana 2025 and get to know the novelties for the sugar-energy sector up close:
Street C
Booth C89