Key Takeaways:
- Zero-Emission Machinery: Case IH’s Puma 230 tractor, powered by FPT’s N67 ethanol engine, has begun commercial field tests in Pradópolis, São Paulo.
- Decarbonization Impact: The machine operates alongside the ethanol-powered Austoft 9000 harvester, creating a fully renewable fuel cycle for sugarcane production.
- Strategic Partnership: This collaboration with São Martinho—one of the world’s largest sugar and ethanol groups—validates the reliability of 100% ethanol propulsion in heavy-duty agriculture.
- Scalability: Case IH confirms plans to expand ethanol technology to sprayers and grain harvesters, targeting a complete “green fleet” for Latin America.
Pradópolis, Brazil – In a move that could redefine the carbon footprint of Latin American agriculture, Case IH has initiated commercial field tests for its ethanol-powered Puma 230 tractor. The machinery is operating at the São Martinho bioenergy complex in São Paulo, marking a critical step toward energy-independent farming.
This development creates a closed-loop system where the fuel used to power farm machinery is produced on the very same farm it harvests. The Puma 230 is currently working in tandem with the Austoft 9000 sugarcane harvester, which also runs on ethanol, effectively decoupling sugarcane production from diesel price volatility and fossil fuel emissions.
The Tech Behind the Torque At the heart of the Puma 230 is the N67 Otto Cycle engine developed by FPT Industrial. Unlike converted diesel engines, this 6.7-liter powerplant delivers 234 hp with diesel-equivalent torque while reducing carbon emissions by up to 80%.
“The ethanol tractor was presented during the last Agrishow and has undergone more than 100 hours of bench tests since then,” said Leandro Conde, Marketing and Communication Director at Case IH for Latin America. “Now it 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.”
Market Implication: The Rise of the “Green Fleet” For bioenergy producers, this technology offers a double advantage: operational cost reduction and carbon credit generation. By substituting diesel with proprietary ethanol, large-scale producers can significantly lower their OpEx while improving the lifecycle carbon intensity (CI) score of their ethanol exports—a crucial metric for markets like the EU and California.
São Martinho CEO Fábio Venturelli emphasized the broader impact: “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.”
Bioenergy Business Analysis: The deployment of the Puma 230 signals a shift in the heavy machinery sector away from electrification—which remains logistically difficult in remote rural areas—toward biofuel internal combustion engines (ICE). With Brazil’s agricultural machinery market valued at over $3.2 billion and ethanol production forecasted to reach 40 billion liters by 2035, Case IH is positioning itself to dominate a niche where competitors are still relying on diesel hybrids. If successful, this pilot could trigger a wave of fleet replacements across Brazil’s 400+ ethanol plants, creating a new, massive internal demand channel for hydrous ethanol.
