Case IH started field testing its ethanol-powered tractor in partnership with São Martinho, one of the world’s largest producers of sugar, ethanol and bioenergy in Brazil. The Puma 230 tractor operates in combination with an Austoft 9000 sugarcane harvester, also powered by ethanol, in Pradópolis (SP) state.
The initiative marks a next step in the agriculture decarbonization project, led by Case IH, which is betting on ethanol as a strategic fuel for the future of ag machinery. The engine is an FPT N67 with a rated power of 234 hp, using technology similar to that used in the automotive sector,. This will contribute to reducing emissions in agriculture, as well as generating less noise from the engine.
The ethanol tractor was presented during the last Agrishow and has undergone more than 100 hours of bench testing since then. It now operates in the field alongside the harvester, which has shown very satisfactory results. “The partnership with São Martinho is essential for us to validate the efficiency and reliability of these machines in real operating conditions. We are confident in the development of a complete portfolio of ethanol-powered machines,” says Leandro Conde, Case IH Marketing and Communications Director for Latin America.
São Martinho, a long-standing partner of Case IH in innovation projects, sees the initiative as an opportunity to transform agriculture’s carbon footprint. “We believe this technology has the potential to bring about significant change not only in the sugar and ethanol sector, but in agriculture as a whole. The use of ethanol as a renewable fuel contributes directly to our environmental ambitions and to the construction of a low-carbon economy,” says Fábio Venturelli, CEO of São Martinho.
About the project
The N67 ethanol engines from the Puma 230 tractor, and Cursor 13 ethanol engines of the Austoft 9000 series sugarcane harvester were developed to meet the needs of the field, maintaining the power of FPT Industrial engines and adding benefits such as reduced emissions, lower noise levels, and the use of a renewable fuel with high productivity and availability of supply.
FPT Industrial understands that the solution to decarbonization begins with technologies suited to South America’s great potential in biofuels. Ethanol engine technology, developed in partnership with Case IH, reduces costs and maintains machine efficiency and availability.
