Dow Chemical Co.'s Brazilian subsidiary is about two months away from acquiring farmland to grow sugarcane for ethanol. The company will produce ethanol in partnership with Brazilian sugar company Crystalsev. This in turn will be used to produce polyethylene under the company's Dowlex brand. Production is expected to commence by 2011.By 2012, Crystalsev and Dow plan to grow 8 million tons of sugarcane for the project. The ethanol from the cane will produce 350,000 tons of Dowlex.
Making polyethylene from ethanol is cost competitive, as long as oil stays above US$45 a barrel.
06-Jun-08 
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