Wärtsilä, in partnership with Brazilian energy company Energetica Suape II S.A., has announced a trial to test ethanol as a fuel for large-scale power generation, according to the company's release.
The project, booked by Wärtsilä in Q1 2025, will take place at the Suape II power station in Recife, Brazil, and aims to assess ethanol's viability as a low-emission energy source.
Brazil is the world’s largest producer and consumer of ethanol derived from sugarcane.
The initiative was led by Carlos Alberto Mansur Filho, a shareholder of Grupo Econômico 4M, the majority owner of Energetica Suape II S.A., in collaboration with Wärtsilä.
The trial is part of the WISE (Wide and Intelligent Sustainable Energy) programme, co-funded by Business Finland.
Under the agreement, Wärtsilä will conduct up to 4,000 hours of testing on a Wärtsilä 32M engine from April 2026 to assess reliability and efficiency.
The Brazilian federal government has included ethanol in its upcoming 2025 reserve energy capacity auction, potentially paving the way for its broader use in electricity generation.
Wärtsilä will also operate and maintain the engine under an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Agreement, ensuring reliability until the end of 2026, in alignment with Energetica Suape II S.A.’s current power purchase agreement.
Wärtsilä is a Finnish company specializing in marine and energy solutions, focusing on sustainable and innovative technology. In 2024, the company reported net sales of EUR 6.4 billion and employs 18,300 professionals across 77 countries.
Energetica Suape II S.A. is a Brazilian energy company majority owned by Grupo Econômico 4M. It operates the Suape II power station in Recife, focusing on power generation projects in Brazil.