Luxembourg-based Tenaris announced Friday that it will supply 145 km of 20-inch pipes, produced from steel plates provided by Brazilian steelmaker Usiminas for the second phase of construction of the first Brazilian ethanol pipeline. This phase of the project will link Ribeirão Preto to Uberaba (Minas Gerais). The pipes measure 15 meters, which require fewer connectors in the field. "This specification reduces the installation costs significantly, and creates a new concept in supply which could be applied in the following phases," said Tenaris Line Pipe Sales Coordinator in Brazil, Vinícius Santos. "Tenaris's local logistics support optimizes compliance with the customer's deadlines- which is very demanding due to the rhythm of the pipeline's construction."
The official inauguration of the first phase took place on August 12 in Ribeirão Preto. At the event, Brazil's President, Dilma Rousseff, said, "The country is internationally renowned for its production of ethanol from sugar cane."
The construction of the ethanol pipeline, which began in 2011, reached an important milestone in July. The ANP (National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Alternative Energy) authorized the commercialization of ethanol in the first stretch of the pipeline, which links the Ribeirão Preto terminal (San Pablo state) to the refinery in Paulínia (San Pablo state). Tenaris delivered 209 km of 24-inch pipes, produced with steel plates supplied by Usiminas, for this stretch of the pipeline. The ethanol pipeline brings alternative energy to five Brazilian states at the culmination of its first stage of operation.