Brazil, the world's biggest ethanol exporter, will more than double exports of the biofuel within six years as demand for alternative fuels rises, said Eduardo Pereira de Carvalho, head of the Centre-South Sugar and Ethanol Industry Association.

Ethanol exports — from facilities such as the tank farm in Santos, right — will rise to 7 billion litres in six years, and total output of the fuel made from sugar will double to 36 billion litres, Carvalho said yesterday in Sao Paulo. Sugar exports will rise 37 per cent in six years to 19.6 million tonnes, while sugar output will probably climb 26 per cent to 38.6 million tonnes.