Brazil's ethanol biofuel consumption will nearly triple within a decade to 53.2 billion liters by 2017 from a projected 20.3 billion in 2007, government energy planning agency EPE said on Wednesday.
Local consumption of the biofuel has surged since the launch in 2003 of flex-fuel cars, which can run ethanol or gasoline or any mixture of both.
Consumption of all types of ethanol -- including alcohol for industrial and pharmaceutical use -- is expected to reach 63.9 billion liters, up 150 percent from current levels.
"The national energy plan (published in 2007) had put demand at 66 billion liters by 2030. (But) this volume will be reached by 2017, we were being too conservative," said EPE chief, Mauricio Tolmasquim, giving a rough estimate.
Flex-fuel vehicles account for about 88 percent of all new car sales in Brazil and for 29.6 percent of the total light vehicles fleet -- those which do not use diesel.
If sales of flex-fuel cars continue at this rate and ethanol prices stay at 60-70 percent of those for gasoline, around three quarters of light vehicles on the road by 2017 would be powered by the biofuel.
Ethanol exports were projected at 8.3 billion liters in 2017, up from 4.2 billion liters this year, EPE said. Japan is expected to become Brazil's biggest external market.
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