More than 100 years cultivating trust, development and future
The fuel alcohol distillery began operations in August 2015, with a daily production capacity of 400,000 liters of alcohol. This plant works in total harmony with the sugar production plant and was the first alcohol project in Colombia to be established as a Special Permanent Free Trade Zone. At the end of 2018, Destilería Riopaila generated operating income of $109,404 million, of which 69.1% corresponds mainly to sales of fuel alcohol to wholesale distributors (first semester) and the remaining 30.9% to income from service of maquila (second semester). Its production during this year was 85,957,780 liters of alcohol.
The plant uses cane juice and molasses for its production process, and the vinasse that is produced is concentrated and used to produce a liquid organic mineral fertilizer, which is applied to cane crops to provide them with the nutrients they need for proper development and yield, returning to the field the nutrients that the cane absorbs during its growth, closing the sustainable cycle between the field and the manufacturing plant.
The ethanol distillery is an environmentally sustainable alternative, which responds to the Group's commitment to sustainability and is a clear contribution to reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels and conserving Colombia's reserves of energy sources. non-renewable sources such as oil, thereby contributing to national energy security. Also, due to its characteristics, ethanol makes its combustion cleaner, helps to mitigate the effects of global warming since it reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels (studies mention a reduction of 74% compared to gasoline it replaces).
Ethanol production process
