Brazil tops US: $8.737 in global biofuels investments in 2009; free download of project data

January 5, 2010 by Jim Lane
Filed under Biofuels

$8.737 billion in biofuels processing technology and feedstock development investments were announced in 2009, based on analysis of 81 tracked investments in 18 countries as reported in Biofuels Digest.

Overall, Brazil led with $3.454 in tracked investments, followed by the US with $2.31 billion. Among fuels, mixed product strategies dominated with 23 investments aimed at multiple fuels or co-products, while wood and sugarcane dominated the feedstocks. The largest reported investments were a $2.8 billion multi-year program for ethanol and biodiesel expansion by Petrobras and a $600 million investment by ExxonMobil in algal-based fuels.

The investments include debt, equity and government grants, and in most cases involve multi-year investments, funds that may be injected into projects in later years, or projects that may be delayed or in some cases not completed. JVs with undisclosed capital contributions, and acquisition of existing equity stakes were not included. Also, projects may have privately received equity infusions that were subsequently unreported in the Digest.

The complete table of 81 announced project investments is available for free download here. The table includes, projects, location, investment amlount,. fuel, feedstock and, in some cases, additional notes on project investors or investment structure.

Meanwhile, Greentech Media is reporting $975 million in venture capital investments in biofuels during 2009.

Announced investments by country, 2009

Argentina	$37 million
Australia	$75.33 million
Brazil	$3.454 billion
Canada	$589.15 million
Ethiopia	$84 million
India	$438 million
Kenya	$46 million
Mozambique	$10 million
Papua New Guinea	$800 million
Peru	$11.84 million
Philippines	$197 million
Poland	$4.3 million
Rwanda	$250 million
South Africa	$190 million
South Korea	$17.60 million
Sweden	$73 million
US	$2.01 billion