Cosan e Shell anunciam a Raízen

A Raízen, nome da nova organização formada pela Royal Dutch Shell e a Cosan S.A., será uma das cinco maiores do país em faturamento, com valor de mercado estimado em US$ 12 bilhões e cerca de 40 mil funcionários, posicionando-se como uma das mais competitivas na área de energia sustentável do mundo.

A Raízen será responsável por uma produção de mais de 2.2 bilhões de litros de etanol por ano para atendimento ao mercado interno e externo. Além do etanol, as atuais 23 usinas produzem 4 milhões de toneladas de açúcar e tem 900 MW de capacidade instalada de produção de energia elétrica a partir do bagaço da cana. Na área de combustíveis, a joint venture comercializará aproximadamente 20 bilhões de litros para os segmentos de Transporte, Indústria e sua rede de 4500 postos de serviço.

Ao mesmo tempo que é uma organização nova, a Raízen acumula a experiência dos acionistas. É uma organização nacional, que se beneficia de ter no portfólio produtos e soluções com a qualidade de ambas as empresas acionistas e o uso da marca Shell, que é sinônimo de inovação e tecnologia, em sua rede de postos de serviço e no segmento de aviação.

"Nascemos grandes e queremos ser ainda maiores. A Raízen terá porte, talento, recursos e tecnologia para atender às necessidades de nossos clientes, da sociedade e dos acionistas. Queremos ser reconhecidos globalmente pela excelência no desenvolvimento, produção e comercialização de energia sustentável," diz seu presidente designado Vasco Dias.

"Pela dimensão de suas operações, a Raízen contribuirá para que o etanol de cana-de-açúcar, fonte de energia sustentável, limpa e renovável, consolide-se mundialmente e fortaleça a posição do Brasil no comércio internacional de biocombustíveis", acrescenta Vasco.

O processo de integração das unidades de negócios da Cosan e Shell, que fazem parte desta joint venture, está em andamento e espera-se o seu lançamento neste 1º semestre de 2011.


Sobre a marca

O nome Raízen é a união de duas forças, raiz e energia. A primeira remete à parte das plantas que extrai nutrientes e água necessários para a vida e a outra, ao fator crítico para qualquer dinâmica: para que haja vida ou movimento é preciso energia. A opção pelo nome em português reforça tratar-se de uma organização brasileira e a cor roxa da marca remete à aparência da cana-de-açúcar madura.

Visão: ser reconhecida globalmente pela excelência no desenvolvimento, produção e comercialização de energia sustentável.
Missão: prover soluções de energia sustentável, através de tecnologia, talento e agilidade, maximizando valor para os clientes, acionistas e contribuindo para a sociedade.

O desenvolvimento do nome e da plataforma de marca foi coordenado pela empresa Ana Couto Branding & Design.

A Raízen terá em seu portfólio:

- 23 usinas com aproximadamente 62 milhões de toneladas de capacidade de moagem de cana-de-açúcar por ano, com produção de mais de 2.2 bilhões de litros de etanol;• Estão incluídos os projetos de co-geração de eletricidade das 23 unidades, das quais 12 já com contrato para venda de energia, com capacidade instalada de aproximadamente 900 MW.

- Distribuidora de combustíveis no Brasil com rede de cerca de 4.500 postos de serviço, 550 lojas de conveniência, atuação em 53 terminais de distribuição e no negócio de combustíveis de aviação em 54 aeroportos.

- Participação em empresa de logística de etanol (alcoolduto).

- Aproximadamente US$ 1,6 bilhão de aporte de caixa.

- Direitos de comercialização da Shell na Iogen Energy*.

- 16.3% de participação na Codexis**.

*Sobre a Iogen Energy

A Iogen Energy é uma empresa líder mundial em biotecnologia especializada em etanol celulósico - um biocombustível proveniente da celulose completamente renovável e pode ser utilizado nos modelos atuais de automóveis. A Iogen construiu e opera uma planta em escala de demonstração para conversão de biomassa em etanol celulósico usando tecnologia de enzimas.

**Sobre a Codexis

A Codexis é uma companhia de tecnologia limpa. A Codexis desenvolve biocatalizadores otimizados, que tornam processos industriais mais rápidos, limpos e eficientes. A Codexis comercializa seus biocatalizadores na indústria farmacêutica e está desenvolvendo-os para uso na produção de biocombustíveis avançados, em uma parceria com a Shell, e na captura de carbono, em parceria com a Alstom. Outros mercados potenciais para as soluções com biocatalisadores ativos da empresa incluem o tratamento de produtos químicos e de água.

Cosan e Shell anunciam a Raízen

A Raízen, nome da nova organização formada pela Royal Dutch Shell e a Cosan S.A., será uma das cinco maiores do país em faturamento, com valor de mercado estimado em US$ 12 bilhões e cerca de 40 mil funcionários, posicionando-se como uma das mais competitivas na área de energia sustentável do mundo.

A Raízen será responsável por uma produção de mais de 2.2 bilhões de litros de etanol por ano para atendimento ao mercado interno e externo. Além do etanol, as atuais 23 usinas produzem 4 milhões de toneladas de açúcar e tem 900 MW de capacidade instalada de produção de energia elétrica a partir do bagaço da cana. Na área de combustíveis, a joint venture comercializará aproximadamente 20 bilhões de litros para os segmentos de Transporte, Indústria e sua rede de 4500 postos de serviço.

Ao mesmo tempo que é uma organização nova, a Raízen acumula a experiência dos acionistas. É uma organização nacional, que se beneficia de ter no portfólio produtos e soluções com a qualidade de ambas as empresas acionistas e o uso da marca Shell, que é sinônimo de inovação e tecnologia, em sua rede de postos de serviço e no segmento de aviação.

"Nascemos grandes e queremos ser ainda maiores. A Raízen terá porte, talento, recursos e tecnologia para atender às necessidades de nossos clientes, da sociedade e dos acionistas. Queremos ser reconhecidos globalmente pela excelência no desenvolvimento, produção e comercialização de energia sustentável," diz seu presidente designado Vasco Dias.

"Pela dimensão de suas operações, a Raízen contribuirá para que o etanol de cana-de-açúcar, fonte de energia sustentável, limpa e renovável, consolide-se mundialmente e fortaleça a posição do Brasil no comércio internacional de biocombustíveis", acrescenta Vasco.

O processo de integração das unidades de negócios da Cosan e Shell, que fazem parte desta joint venture, está em andamento e espera-se o seu lançamento neste 1º semestre de 2011.


Sobre a marca

O nome Raízen é a união de duas forças, raiz e energia. A primeira remete à parte das plantas que extrai nutrientes e água necessários para a vida e a outra, ao fator crítico para qualquer dinâmica: para que haja vida ou movimento é preciso energia. A opção pelo nome em português reforça tratar-se de uma organização brasileira e a cor roxa da marca remete à aparência da cana-de-açúcar madura.

Visão: ser reconhecida globalmente pela excelência no desenvolvimento, produção e comercialização de energia sustentável.
Missão: prover soluções de energia sustentável, através de tecnologia, talento e agilidade, maximizando valor para os clientes, acionistas e contribuindo para a sociedade.

O desenvolvimento do nome e da plataforma de marca foi coordenado pela empresa Ana Couto Branding & Design.

A Raízen terá em seu portfólio:

- 23 usinas com aproximadamente 62 milhões de toneladas de capacidade de moagem de cana-de-açúcar por ano, com produção de mais de 2.2 bilhões de litros de etanol;• Estão incluídos os projetos de co-geração de eletricidade das 23 unidades, das quais 12 já com contrato para venda de energia, com capacidade instalada de aproximadamente 900 MW.

- Distribuidora de combustíveis no Brasil com rede de cerca de 4.500 postos de serviço, 550 lojas de conveniência, atuação em 53 terminais de distribuição e no negócio de combustíveis de aviação em 54 aeroportos.

- Participação em empresa de logística de etanol (alcoolduto).

- Aproximadamente US$ 1,6 bilhão de aporte de caixa.

- Direitos de comercialização da Shell na Iogen Energy*.

- 16.3% de participação na Codexis**.

*Sobre a Iogen Energy

A Iogen Energy é uma empresa líder mundial em biotecnologia especializada em etanol celulósico - um biocombustível proveniente da celulose completamente renovável e pode ser utilizado nos modelos atuais de automóveis. A Iogen construiu e opera uma planta em escala de demonstração para conversão de biomassa em etanol celulósico usando tecnologia de enzimas.

**Sobre a Codexis

A Codexis é uma companhia de tecnologia limpa. A Codexis desenvolve biocatalizadores otimizados, que tornam processos industriais mais rápidos, limpos e eficientes. A Codexis comercializa seus biocatalizadores na indústria farmacêutica e está desenvolvendo-os para uso na produção de biocombustíveis avançados, em uma parceria com a Shell, e na captura de carbono, em parceria com a Alstom. Outros mercados potenciais para as soluções com biocatalisadores ativos da empresa incluem o tratamento de produtos químicos e de água.

Ethanol fuel in the United States

The United States is the world's largest producer of ethanol fuel since 2005. The U.S. produced 13.2 billion U.S. liquid gallons (50.0 billion liters) of ethanol fuel in 2010, and together with Brazil, both countries accounted for 88% of the world's production in that year. Ethanol fuel is mainly used in the U.S. as an oxygenate to gasoline in the form of low-level blends up to 10 percent, and to a lesser extent, as E85 fuel for flex-fuel vehicles. Most ethanol fuel in the U.S. is produced using corn as feedstock.

The ethanol market share in the U.S. gasoline supply by volume grew from just over 1 percent in 2000 through less than 4 percent in 2006 to a peak of almost 10 percent in 2010, and domestic production capacity has increased fifteen times since 1990, from 900 million of gallons back then, through 1.63 billion in 2000, reaching 13.5 billion gallons in 2010. Most cars on the road today in the U.S. can run on blends of up to 10% ethanol, and motor vehicle manufacturers already produce vehicles designed to run on much higher ethanol blends. Flexible-fuel cars, trucks, and minivans can use gasoline and ethanol blends ranging from pure gasoline up to 85% ethanol (E85). By December 2010 there were nearly 9 million E85 flex-fuel vehicles on U.S. roads, however, regular use of E85 is low but common in the Midwest.

The Renewable Fuels Association reports 204 ethanol distilleries in operation and another 9 under construction or expansion as of December 2010, that when completed, will bring U.S. total installed capacity to 14.6 bg.[4][6] Ethanol production is likely to continue to soar over the next several years, since the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires 36 billion gallons of annual renewable fuel use by 2022, of which, ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks is mandated to be at 16 billion gallons a year. Production from corn ethanol is set to 15 billion gallons by 2015. Expanding ethanol industries provide jobs in plant construction, operations, and maintenance, mostly in rural communities. However, in early 2009 the industry was under financial stress due to the effects of the economic crisis of 2008 as motorists were driving less, gasoline prices had dropped sharply, there was excess production capacity, and less financing available.

Since most U.S. ethanol is produced from corn and the required electricity from many distilleries comes mainly from coal plants, there has been considerable debate about how sustainable corn-based bio-ethanol could be in replacing fossil fuels in vehicles. Controversy and concerns relate to the large amount of arable land required for crops and its impact on grain supply, direct and indirect land use change effects, as well as issues regarding its energy balance and carbon intensity considering the full life cycle of ethanol production. Recent developments with cellulosic ethanol production and commercialization may allay some of these concerns.

Ethanol fuel in the United States

The United States is the world's largest producer of ethanol fuel since 2005. The U.S. produced 13.2 billion U.S. liquid gallons (50.0 billion liters) of ethanol fuel in 2010, and together with Brazil, both countries accounted for 88% of the world's production in that year. Ethanol fuel is mainly used in the U.S. as an oxygenate to gasoline in the form of low-level blends up to 10 percent, and to a lesser extent, as E85 fuel for flex-fuel vehicles. Most ethanol fuel in the U.S. is produced using corn as feedstock.

The ethanol market share in the U.S. gasoline supply by volume grew from just over 1 percent in 2000 through less than 4 percent in 2006 to a peak of almost 10 percent in 2010, and domestic production capacity has increased fifteen times since 1990, from 900 million of gallons back then, through 1.63 billion in 2000, reaching 13.5 billion gallons in 2010. Most cars on the road today in the U.S. can run on blends of up to 10% ethanol, and motor vehicle manufacturers already produce vehicles designed to run on much higher ethanol blends. Flexible-fuel cars, trucks, and minivans can use gasoline and ethanol blends ranging from pure gasoline up to 85% ethanol (E85). By December 2010 there were nearly 9 million E85 flex-fuel vehicles on U.S. roads, however, regular use of E85 is low but common in the Midwest.

The Renewable Fuels Association reports 204 ethanol distilleries in operation and another 9 under construction or expansion as of December 2010, that when completed, will bring U.S. total installed capacity to 14.6 bg.[4][6] Ethanol production is likely to continue to soar over the next several years, since the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires 36 billion gallons of annual renewable fuel use by 2022, of which, ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks is mandated to be at 16 billion gallons a year. Production from corn ethanol is set to 15 billion gallons by 2015. Expanding ethanol industries provide jobs in plant construction, operations, and maintenance, mostly in rural communities. However, in early 2009 the industry was under financial stress due to the effects of the economic crisis of 2008 as motorists were driving less, gasoline prices had dropped sharply, there was excess production capacity, and less financing available.

Since most U.S. ethanol is produced from corn and the required electricity from many distilleries comes mainly from coal plants, there has been considerable debate about how sustainable corn-based bio-ethanol could be in replacing fossil fuels in vehicles. Controversy and concerns relate to the large amount of arable land required for crops and its impact on grain supply, direct and indirect land use change effects, as well as issues regarding its energy balance and carbon intensity considering the full life cycle of ethanol production. Recent developments with cellulosic ethanol production and commercialization may allay some of these concerns.

Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association UNICA has lost its second official in recent weeks to the private sector.

UNICA announced this morning that after launching the group''s efforts in Europe and spearheading its EU strategy for three years, Emmanuel Desplechin is stepping down from his post as UNICA''s chief representative to the EU, effective Feb. 11.

Desplechin has been tapped as senior manager for EU Affairs at Danish biotech company Novozymes. He will remain in Brussels in his new position, UNICA noted.

"It''s a privilege to have had the chance to be the voice of UNICA in Europe at such an important juncture in time," said Desplechin. "We''ve seen the industry expand and consolidate and EU policy transform itself to take advantage of cutting edge innovation to meet the increasing demand for clean fuels. I know that UNICA''s successes will continue
here in Europe and internationally. I am excited to take on my new role at Novozymes and look forward to a continued partnership with UNICA and its member companies," he added.

With Desplechin''s departure, UNICA''s activities in Brussels will continue to be overseen by its senior advisor for International Affairs, Geraldine Kutas, who now is also the acting head of UNICA''s Brussels office.

Last month, UNICA''s chief representative for North America, Joel Velasco, left his post after three years to join advanced biofuel maker Amyris as senior vice president, External Relations.

Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association UNICA has lost its second official in recent weeks to the private sector.

UNICA announced this morning that after launching the group''s efforts in Europe and spearheading its EU strategy for three years, Emmanuel Desplechin is stepping down from his post as UNICA''s chief representative to the EU, effective Feb. 11.

Desplechin has been tapped as senior manager for EU Affairs at Danish biotech company Novozymes. He will remain in Brussels in his new position, UNICA noted.

"It''s a privilege to have had the chance to be the voice of UNICA in Europe at such an important juncture in time," said Desplechin. "We''ve seen the industry expand and consolidate and EU policy transform itself to take advantage of cutting edge innovation to meet the increasing demand for clean fuels. I know that UNICA''s successes will continue
here in Europe and internationally. I am excited to take on my new role at Novozymes and look forward to a continued partnership with UNICA and its member companies," he added.

With Desplechin''s departure, UNICA''s activities in Brussels will continue to be overseen by its senior advisor for International Affairs, Geraldine Kutas, who now is also the acting head of UNICA''s Brussels office.

Last month, UNICA''s chief representative for North America, Joel Velasco, left his post after three years to join advanced biofuel maker Amyris as senior vice president, External Relations.

How Green Is Your Artificial Christmas Tree? You Might Be Surprised

When it comes to Christmas trees, Americans increasingly prefer plastic pines over the real thing.

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Tina Fineberg for The New York Times
Ronald Herrera went for a natural Christmas tree, purchased from a vendor at Union Square, and took it home by subway.

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Sales of fake trees are expected to approach 13 million this year, a record, as quality improves and they get more convenient, with features like built-in lights and easy collapsibility. All told, well over 50 million artificial Christmas trees will grace living rooms and dens this season, according to the industry’s main trade group, compared to about 30 million real trees.

Kim Jones, who was shopping for a tree at a Target store in Brooklyn this week, was convinced that she was doing the planet a favor by buying a $200 fake balsam fir made in China instead of buying a carbon-sipping pine that had been cut down for one season’s revelry.

“I’m very environmentally conscious,” Ms. Jones said. “I’ll keep it for 10 years, and that’s 10 trees that won’t be cut down.”

But Ms. Jones and the millions of others buying fake trees might not be doing the environment any favors.

In the most definitive study of the perennial real vs. fake question, an environmental consulting firm in Montreal found that an artificial tree would have to be reused for more than 20 years to be greener than buying a fresh-cut tree annually. The calculations included greenhouse gas emissions, use of resources and human health impacts.

“The natural tree is a better option,” said Jean-Sebastien Trudel, founder of the firm, Ellipsos, that released the independent study last year.

The annual carbon emissions associated with using a real tree every year were just one-third of those created by an artificial tree over a typical six-year lifespan. Most fake trees also contain polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which produces carcinogens during manufacturing and disposal.

Ellipsos specifically studied the market for Christmas trees bought in Montreal and either grown in Quebec or manufactured in China. Mr. Trudel said the results would most likely differ for other cities and regions. Excessive driving by consumers to purchase real trees could tip the scales back in favor of artificial trees, at least in terms of carbon emissions.

Over all, the study found that the environmental impact of real Christmas trees was quite small, and significantly less than that of artificial trees — a conclusion shared by environmental groups and some scientists.

“You’re not doing any harm by cutting down a Christmas tree,” said Clint Springer, a botanist and professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. “A lot of people think artificial is better because you’re preserving the life of a tree. But in this case, you’ve got a crop that’s being raised for that purpose.”

Makers of fake trees argue that the environmental evidence isn’t quite so clear-cut.

“If you buy an artificial Christmas tree and reuse it for at least five years, it’s absolutely a green thing to do,” said Thomas Harman, founder and chief executive of Balsam Hill, a maker of premium artificial trees. Mr. Harman said that the average amount of car travel by consumers to buy a real Christmas tree outweighed the added energy and pollution costs of buying an artificial tree from China.

The American Christmas Tree Association, the main trade group for artificial tree makers and retailers, says its own study found that it took 10 years of use before a fake tree became better for the environment than a real one, at least in terms of carbon emissions.

Yet the trade-offs are not immediately apparent to consumers and even some tree growers.

On a bitterly cold afternoon at the Winter Market at New York City’s Union Square this week, Lizza Stanley browsed for Christmas trees with her husband, Brian. They wondered if an artificial tree would be better for the environment because it could be reused time and time again.

The tree seller, Rob Rodriguez from Van Houten Farms of Orangeville, Pa., was of little help. “I don’t even know for sure,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “I would guess natural?”

The balance tilts in favor of natural Christmas trees because of the way they are grown and harvested.


Close to 400 million trees now grow on Christmas tree farms in the United States, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, which represents growers and retailers of real trees. About 30 million trees are harvested annually.


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The living trees generate oxygen, help fix carbon in their branches and in the soil and provide habitat for birds and animals, Mr. Springer said.

Christmas tree farms also help preserve farmland and green space, particularly near densely populated urban areas where pressure for development is intense.

“It allows people with land that may not be the best farmland to have a crop that they can actually make a profit on, and not be under pressure to sell out to developers,” said Mike Garrett, owner and operator of a Christmas tree farm in Sussex, N.J.

After the holidays, real trees can continue to serve a purpose. New York City, for instance, offers free curbside recycling for trees, which are turned into compost. The city’s parks department also provides a free mulching service for trees at several locations after the holidays. In 2009, nearly 150,000 trees were composted or mulched in the city.

Artificial trees, by contrast, are manufactured almost exclusively in Asia from plastic and metal and cannot be recycled by most municipal recycling programs. After six to 10 years of use, most will end up in a landfill.

Melly Garcia, who bought a six-foot fir on the Upper East Side of Manhattan this week, said she was certain that the real tree was the correct environmental choice.

“The trees are coming from a sustainable place, and if you dispose of it properly, it goes back to the earth,” she said. “So I’m at peace with that.”

Jami Warner, executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association, the group promoting artificial trees, said that neither kind of tree had much of an impact on the environment — “especially when compared to something that most of us do every day, like drive a car,” she wrote in an e-mail.

On that point, Mr. Trudel of Ellipsos agrees.

“When you really consider it, if you exchange a couple of days of commuting by car with carpooling or riding a bicycle, you’ll completely overcompensate for whatever the impact of the tree is,” he said. “It’s not such a big deal. Enjoy your tree, whichever one you prefer.”