What Usina Caeté does

Usina Caeté, operating under the privately held Grupo Carlos Lyra, is a vertically integrated Brazilian sugarcane biorefinery headquartered in São Miguel dos Campos, Alagoas, with administrative offices in Maceió and additional production operations in São Paulo state. Founded under the leadership of industrialist Dr. Carlos Lyra (born 1925), the company operates three production units — Matriz (São Miguel dos Campos, AL), Unidade Marituba (Igreja Nova/Marituba, AL), and Unidade Paulicéia (Dracena, SP) — producing four core outputs: sugar (Açúcar), ethanol (Etanol), alcohol (Álcool), and bioelectricity cogenerated from sugarcane bagasse.

The business model is commodity-based: sugar and ethanol are sold through the Copersucar cooperative distribution network and direct industrial channels, while bioelectricity is sold into the national grid or to industrial buyers. In June 2026 the company expanded downstream into direct-to-consumer retail fuel with the inauguration of Posto Caeté in São Miguel dos Campos. The company holds RenovaBio certification and recent ESG recognitions including the Selo Verde Ambiental 2026 (SEMARH) and Selo Alagoas pelo Clima Padrão Prata (IMA). Its proprietary "Operação Bisturi" precision agriculture technology for sugarcane field regeneration was presented at SEBRAE NEON 2026.

Usina Caeté serves industrial sugar buyers, fuel distributors, energy companies, and — via Posto Caeté — individual automotive fuel consumers. Marketing is primarily B2B enterprise field sales, with corporate communications distributed through its website, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The company is family-controlled under the Lyra family, with Aryl Lyra as Diretor-Presidente, and is governed by documented ethics, human rights, and supplier sustainability policies.

Name

Usina Caeté

Legal name

Grupo Carlos Lyra

Website

https://usinacaete.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Usina Caeté (Grupo Carlos Lyra) is a privately held Brazilian sugarcane biorefinery operating three production units in Alagoas and São Paulo, producing sugar, ethanol, alcohol, and bioelectricity for industrial buyers, fuel distributors, and energy companies, with a newly inaugurated retail fuel station extending into direct-to-consumer sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sugar and Ethanol Production

NAICS

Cane Sugar Manufacturing (311314), Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing (325193)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Grain & Sugar-Based Ethanol Production (EUAAAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cane Sugar (Raw & Refined) (AFAJAAAA), Biofuel Co-products & Byproduct Processing (DDGS, Glycerin, CO2, Lignin) (EUAAAHAJ)

Keywords

• Sugarcane processing
• Sugar ethanol production
• Bioelectricity cogeneration
• Agricultural commodities
• Biofuel manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Maceió

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sugar Sales: Production and sale of sugar as a commodity product, distributed through Copersucar cooperative and direct sales channels.
2. Ethanol / Alcohol Sales: Production and sale of ethanol and alcohol fuel, sold to fuel distributors and directly through the company's own Posto Caeté station in São Miguel dos Campos.
3. Bioelectricity Sales: Cogeneration of electricity from sugarcane biomass (bagaço), sold to the national grid or industrial buyers. The Caeté power plant has received international delegations (e.g., Mexican government), reinforcing its prominence in the energy transition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Usina Caeté processes sugarcane into four core outputs: sugar (Açúcar), ethanol (Etanol), alcohol (Álcool), and bioelectricity (Bioeletricidade) generated from sugarcane biomass via cogeneration. The company operates three production units in Brazil (Matriz in São Miguel dos Campos/AL, Unidade Marituba in Igreja Nova/AL, and Unidade Paulicéia in Dracena/SP) and markets products through the Copersucar cooperative, direct industrial sales, and its own Posto Caeté fuel station for direct-to-consumer ethanol retail.

Product overview

Usina Caeté, part of Grupo Carlos Lyra, operates as a sugarcane-based bioenergy company with an integrated multi-product portfolio centered on four core outputs: Sugar (Açúcar), Ethanol (Etanol), Alcohol (Álcool), and Bioelectricity (Bioeletricidade) generated from sugarcane biomass. The company also launched Posto Caeté, a retail fuel station brand inaugurated in June 2026 to sell ethanol and other fuels directly to consumers, extending the production chain to end customers. The products are organized around the sugarcane biorefinery model, where each part of the raw material is utilized across the product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Posto Caeté: Fuel retail station selling ethanol and other fuels, located in São Miguel dos Campos, AL.

Products and services

• Açúcar (Sugar) Sugar produced from sugarcane processing, representing one of the company's primary agricultural commodity products distributed through Copersucar cooperative and direct sales channels to industrial buyers.
• Etanol (Ethanol) Ethanol fuel produced from sugarcane, a renewable biofuel linked to the company's sustainability and energy transition initiatives, sold to fuel distributors and directly through the Posto Caeté station.
• Álcool (Alcohol) Alcohol produced from sugarcane processing, offered alongside the company's ethanol and sugar product lines, including industrial alcohol applications.
• Bioeletricidade (Bioelectricity) Bioelectricity generated from sugarcane biomass (bagasse), leveraging cogeneration to produce renewable energy for both internal use and grid supply, contributing to the company's sustainability agenda.
• Posto Caeté A retail fuel station operated by Grupo Carlos Lyra, offering ethanol and other fuels directly to consumers, extending the company's sugarcane-derived ethanol production chain to end customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Selo Verde Ambiental 2026 awarded to both Matriz and Unidade Marituba by SEMARH
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IFAL – Campus PenedominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026IFAL (Instituto Federal de Alagoas) – Campus Penedo hosted the opening of the 2nd Sustainability Week of Unidade Marituba, with student participation and environmental presentations.
• Casa dos Velhos de Dracena (Sociedade de São Vicente de Paulo)minorOthers · 25 February 2026Usina Caeté – Unidade Paulicéia conducted an institutional visit to Casa dos Velhos de Dracena (founded 1968), a nonprofit nursing home housing 36 elderly residents, and launched a solidarity campaign to collect hygiene and cleaning products for the institution.
• CopersucarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCopersucar is Brazil's largest sugar and ethanol cooperative. Usina Caeté – Unidade Paulicéia is part of Copersucar's Positive Ecosystem (Selo Ecossistema Positivo), using its cooperative distribution channels for sugar and ethanol sales. UDOP is the association for sugar-energy development.
• UDOP (Associação para Desenvolvimento da Agroenergia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUDOP is the association for the development of agroenergy. Usina Caeté is an associate member and participates in UDOP's annual award programs and industry events. The company has won UDOP Awards for innovation.
• SEMARH (Secretaria de Estado do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Hídricos de Alagoas)coreOthersSEMARH granted the Selo Verde Ambiental 2026 to both Usina Caeté Matriz and Unidade Marituba for outstanding environmental practices.
• IMA (Instituto do Meio Ambiente de Alagoas)coreOthersIMA is the environmental agency of the state of Alagoas. It awarded the Selo Alagoas pelo Clima Padrão Prata (Silver) to Usina Caeté and partners with the company on environmental education initiatives.
• SESI Alagoas (Teatro do SESI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSESI presented the theatrical piece 'Heróis da Preservação' during the 2nd Sustainability Week of Unidade Marituba, addressing environmental awareness through performing arts.
• AMAJE (Associação de Mulheres de Igreja Nova)minorOthersAMAJE participated in the 2nd Sustainability Week presenting sustainable artisan crafts made by women from the community.
• Projeto Meros do BrasilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine conservation project presented at the 2nd Sustainability Week, focusing on the critically endangered Mero fish species and broader marine biodiversity education.
• ICMBio (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade)minorOthersICMBio's chief of the RESEX Marinha da Lagoa do Jequiá delivered a lecture on the marine extractive reserve during the Sustainability Week.
• IPMA (Instituto para Preservação da Mata Atlântica)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPMA delivered a lecture on the importance of environmental reserves for the flora and fauna of Alagoas during the Sustainability Week.
• Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de São Miguel dos CamposminorOthersPartnership for influenza vaccination campaigns for Usina Caeté employees, conducted at the company's administrative office and occupational health clinic.
• SEBRAE NEON 2026coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsina Caeté participated in SEBRAE NEON 2026 presenting the Operação Bisturi sugarcane regeneration technology, participating in debates on innovation and building relationships with producers, startups, and sector institutions.
• Banco do Nordeste – PRODETERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsina Caeté participates in PRODETER (Programa de Desenvolvimento Territorial) as a member of the Territorial Management Committee, supporting circular economy and proper waste disposal initiatives in São Miguel dos Campos.
• Lions Clube de DracenaminorOthersThe Lions Clube de Dracena, represented by member Aparecido Salsman, facilitated the institutional visit to Casa dos Velhos de Dracena and organized a charity bingo to benefit the nursing home.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• São Martinho: One of Brazil's largest publicly traded sugar-ethanol producers with multiple mills across São Paulo and Goiás. Closely comparable to Usina Caeté in integrated cane-to-sugar/ethanol/bioelectricity model and direct GTM via cooperatives and industrial buyers.
• Usina Coruripe: Privately held Brazilian sugar-ethanol group operating three mills in Alagoas, Minas Gerais, and Goiás with vertically integrated sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity. Highly comparable in size, regional footprint, family-controlled ownership, and integrated product mix.
• Atvos: Brazilian sugar-ethanol producer with multiple mills in the Center-South and Northeast regions producing sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity from sugarcane. Direct competitor with overlapping product portfolio and similar reliance on Copersucar-era cooperative distribution.
• Biosev: Louis Dreyfus-controlled sugar-ethanol operator with mills concentrated in São Paulo state producing VHP sugar, ethanol, and biomass energy. Comparable in integrated biorefinery model and B2B sales motion to industrial buyers and energy distributors.
• BP Bunge Bioenergia: Joint venture between BP and Bunge operating 11 sugarcane mills across the Brazilian Center-South producing sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity. Comparable integrated mill network and downstream energy offtake model, though at materially larger scale than Usina Caeté.

Broad incumbents

• Raízen: Brazil's largest sugar-ethanol producer (Cosan/Shell JV) with 35+ mills, fuel distribution under the Shell brand, and sugarcane origination. Overlaps directly with Usina Caeté in sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity, but also operates a national fuel retail network that dwarfs Posto Caeté.
• Cosan: Brazilian agribusiness and energy holding company and parent of Raízen, with interests across sugar, ethanol, logistics (Rumo), and lubricants (Moove). Broader incumbent serving similar end-markets to Usina Caeté but with diversified portfolio and public market access.
• Tereos: French-headquartered cooperative sugar-ethanol producer with significant Brazilian milling operations producing sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity. Comparable product mix and integrated cooperative distribution model, though materially larger and internationally diversified.
• Adecoagro: South American agro-industrial group operating sugarcane mills in Brazil alongside crop farming and rice/dairy production in Argentina and Uruguay. Comparable in sugarcane processing and bioelectricity generation, with broader crop diversification than Usina Caeté.

Regional players

• Engie Brasil Energia: Major Brazilian power generation operator with a portfolio that includes biomass/biogas plants that compete with Usina Caeté's bioelectricity cogeneration output in the Brazilian grid. Overlaps in the bioelectricity revenue stream, though Engie Brasil is much larger and operates across hydro, wind, and solar as well.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usina-caet-
• Instagraminstagram.com/usinacaete

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Usina Caeté