Portrait
Sugarcane is the most important raw material in sugar production: it accounts for between 70% and 80% of global production and more than 20% of the planet's agricultural production by weight.
Sugar is concentrated at the bottom of the cane stalks. When planted between October and December, the cane will be cut in the following campaign (12-month cane) ; when planted between January and April it is cut in the following year (18-month cane). Harvested manually or by machine, the canes are stripped and then crushed. Crushing produces a juice and a fibrous by-product known as 'bagasse'. The juice is strained and then heated and mixed with lime to remove impurities. It is then transferred to evaporators to extract a syrup consisting of sugar crystals and a 'mother liquor'. Lastly, sugar crystals are separated in a centrifuge.
Products
Sugar: the juice is used to produce raw crystallised sugar, which is then refined into white crystallised sugar.
Alcohol: the juice can also be used to produce anhydrous or hydrated ethanol for use as fuel.
Bagasse: used as a fuel to generate the electricity needed to run the factories. Excess power is sold to the electrical grid.
Yield
12-month cane: 90 t/ha; 18-month cane: 110 t/ha. Sugar yield can exceed 10 t/ha.The group
Tereos processes 330,000 ha of sugarcane in Brazil, Réunion and Mozambique.This production chain produces raw sugar, high-quality pure cane sugar, and bioethanol in the factories operated by Guarani, the Group's Brazilian subsidiary.
