“The market dictates!” This phrase has always accompanied me. Wherever I've been, in agriculture and in life, the market has always imposed its truth, its conditions and its demands in exchange for development. But this historical truth is on a tightrope. A new development cycle based on the Environmental, Social and Governance pillars, a more modern variation of the sustainability tripod (Environmental, Social and Economic), seems to seek miraculous alternatives for the so-called climate emergencies.

One of these alternatives concerns motor vehicles. Seen as villains in the emission of gases by burning fossil fuels in exchange for the energy needed to move the pistons, our "yeah" is about to lose its noisy engine for a marvel of science, the electric motor. Everyone was happy: scientists, automakers (new and traditional), environmentalists, media, developed countries and mining companies. All that was needed was to convince the market. Despite a very favorable first moment for the electrification of fleets, some players decided to burn adenosine triphosphate, the fuel of our brain, to make calculations.

The first calculation concerns the amount invested over the expected return. Considering the purchase and supply prices of vehicles powered by gasoline, ethanol, natural gas or electricity, only after 965,000 kilometers traveled would there be any financial return for exchanging a hybrid vehicle for one powered only by electricity.

The second refers to greenhouse gas emissions (and the equivalent in grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer driven). In this comparison, it is verified that the electric car (based on the United States matrix) emits, according to the “well to wheel”, 111 equivalents in grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer driven . Much less than the car powered by corn ethanol (230), natural gas (277) and gasoline (324 equivalents in grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer driven).

Makes sense, right? But the calculation with ethanol from sugarcane, typically Tupiniquim, appeared. Marcelo Gauto , a specialist in energy marketing at Petrobras, showed that our biofuel emits, from the "farm to the wheel", only 65 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilometer driven, considering a yield of 9 kilometers per liter. Suppress!

Our country is the world's second largest producer of ethanol. Our renewable biofuel is sold at all gas stations in the country. And, thanks to a technological revolution, ethanol also becomes an option for electric cars, replacing energy from the voltage grid, dispensing with sockets in the plug-in system and giving up lithium batteries.

In the magic of the process, efficient catalysts break down ethanol molecules, releasing the hydrogen needed for chemical reactions that result in the generation of electrical energy in the presence of a solid oxide fuel cell. In the future, other sources, such as biogas, biomethane and natural gas, may become viable.

The problem to be overcome is the “leftover” of carbon from this process, which, even at low concentrations, accumulates as waste. Far from being an insurmountable barrier for tropical science, notably for the State University of Campinas, the Energy and Nuclear Research Institute and Embrapa, financed by the São Paulo Research Foundation, Studies and Projects Financier, Ministry of Mines and Energy and public-private partnerships with automakers and other companies in the segment.

This revolution brings enormous benefits to the present and future of humanity. The first in reducing grid electricity demand. In Brazil, even with increasingly cleaner sources, such as wind, solar and cogeneration, there is not enough electricity surplus to meet the demand imposed by an electric fleet, which would require gigantic and urgent investments in infrastructure for generation, transmission and supply points. In the world, the impact is greater due to the enormous dependence on polluting sources, coming from fossil fuels, for the generation of electric energy.

Another point to be considered is the materials required for the production of automotive batteries, among which lithium stands out. In column 1A of the periodic table, it is the lightest and least dense among metals, which gives it exceptional properties. Its exploration is concentrated in 3 countries, China, Australia and Chile, which hold 87% of all production.

The extraction process demands a large amount of water and energy, in addition to causing a significant environmental impact with the improper disposal of batteries. To achieve the estimated fleet electrification goals, it would be necessary to increase world production of lithium by six times, in addition to other elements such as cobalt, nickel and graphite.

Finally, we have the question of practicality. As the source of electricity for this engine comes from ethanol, the car does not need a battery that would represent up to 25% of its weight. Even with the ethanol fuel cell, there is no need for a network of chargers distributed throughout the country (there is investment!), nor is it necessary to wait hours to recharge the battery. With our thousands of stations throughout the country, in minutes we have a full tank and guarantee of great autonomy. It seems like a dream, but the ethanol fuel cell electric vehicle will be able to overcome 1,000 kilometers with approximately 40 liters of fuel!

The benefits are so many that, in the future, new catalysts for this process of converting ethanol into electrical energy could even boost energy generation on a scale sufficient to supply cities. This promising future reminded me of the story of our eternal minister Antonio Cabrera, who, when passing through Fernando de Noronha, came across electric car charging points, but reminded the unsuspecting that all the energy produced on the island comes from burning diesel oil. , that is, an inefficient transfer of gas emissions.

The next steps for ethanol fuel cell success are critical. Are we going to continue to extract oil (carbon) for burning in gasoline and diesel engines or make the most of the opportunities that ethanol, biodiesel from soybeans and beef tallow, biogas and biomethane have to offer? We can make the most of the Earth's surface carbon cycle. COP 27 is approaching. Our country may be a protagonist in climate issues, or just be reactive to external pressures. Will we defend Brazil, our science, our technology, our industry and our rural producers, or will we accept an imposition that is beyond questionable from an environmental, social and economic point of view? The market or globalism will dictate. To check.