alcotra

What alcotra does

Alcotra is a privately held global ethanol trading and distribution company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, operating as the core trading subsidiary of Belgian holding company Alcogroup SA. Founded in 1989 as MMM Alcools, the company has progressively expanded to 15+ offices across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa, with dedicated chartering operations transporting approximately 700,000 cbm of ethanol annually and storage facilities in four European countries plus strategic hubs in the US Gulf, Brazil, Valencia, Durban and Korea. The company trades all grades of ethanol — Neutral Alcohol, Anhydrous Neutral Alcohol, Industrial Grade, REN Alcohol and Fuel Ethanol — alongside a proprietary branded product, Alcofreeze Base, described as Europe's most sold screenwash-grade ethanol blend, developed in 2004.

Alcotra serves enterprise customers across six horizontal verticals: beverage (alcohol, vinegars, food essences), personal care (cosmetics, perfumes, hairsprays), home care (cleaning products, screenwash, air fresheners), industrial/chemical (ethyl acrylate, ethyl acetate, inks, paints, solvents), pharmaceutical/medical (wound dressing, contact lenses, excipients, cleaning solutions) and fuel (bioethanol for transport, SAF, green hydrogen feedstock). The company holds multiple sustainability and quality certifications including ISCC PLUS, Fairtrade, COSMOS, Non-GMO, Kosher and ECHA Article 95, which are positioned as differentiators for buyers with regulated decarbonization and ESG mandates. Recent acquisitions and greenfield subsidiaries include Société des Alcools Dénaturés (France, 2000), Alcovin (Greece, 2003), Alco Tarim (Turkey, 2003, ~50% Turkish market share), AlcoChem (now Alcotra North America, 1998), Alcotra Africa (2021, exclusive AlcoNCP distributor), Alcotra Spain (2022) and Alcotra Korea (2023).

The business model is B2B commodity trading with quote-based pricing, multi-year contracts, and revenue generated from the spread between producer purchase prices and end-customer sale prices, supplemented by value-added services such as denaturing, mixing and conditioning (notably through the SAD subsidiary in France). Marketing and customer acquisition operate primarily through direct enterprise sales teams, long-term relationship networks, and industry events rather than digital channels, with global commercial operations coordinated from Geneva.

Name

alcotra

Legal name

Alcogroup SA

Website

https://alcotra.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Alcotra is a Geneva-based private ethanol trading and distribution company operating 15+ offices globally, supplying industrial-grade, beverage, pharmaceutical, and fuel ethanol to enterprise customers across beverage, personal care, home care, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors under Alcogroup SA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ethanol Trading & Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Alcohols & Glycols (Commodity Grade) (IMAEAAAK)

Keywords

• Ethanol trading
• Industrial ethanol supply
• Ethanol distribution
• Beverage alcohol supply
• Biofuel distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ethanol Trading: Alcotra generates revenue through trading all grades of ethanol globally. The company acts as an intermediary between ethanol producers and end-use industries, managing the logistics, quality control, and delivery of products. Revenue comes from the margin between purchase and sale prices, with dedicated chartering operations transporting approximately 700,000 cbm of industrial and beverage ethanol annually.
2. Product Sales - Multiple Ethanol Grades: Sale of various ethanol products including Neutral Alcohol, Anhydrous Neutral Alcohol, Industrial Grade Alcohol, REN Alcohol, and Fuel Ethanol to industries including beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, home care, industrial, and chemical sectors.
3. Proprietary Product - Alcofreeze Base: Sale of company's own branded screenwash grade ethanol blend (Alcofreeze Base), developed and marketed under company brand

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Alcotra is a global ethanol trading and distribution company that supplies multiple grades of ethanol — Neutral Alcohol, Anhydrous Neutral Alcohol, Industrial Grade Alcohol, REN Alcohol, and Fuel Ethanol — to beverage, personal care, home care, industrial, pharmaceutical, medical, and fuel producers worldwide. The company sources from global ethanol producers and operates its own production plants in Rotterdam, Ghent, Durban and Mauritius, leveraging an integrated storage, chartering, and logistics network spanning four continents. It also markets a proprietary screenwash-grade ethanol blend, Alcofreeze Base, developed in 2004 and described as Europe's most sold product in that category.

Product overview

Alcotra is a global ethanol trading company offering a portfolio of ethanol products across multiple industry sectors. The core product line includes Neutral Alcohol, Anhydrous Neutral Alcohol, Industrial Grade Alcohol, REN Alcohol, and Fuel Ethanol. These products serve the beverage, personal care, home care, industrial, pharmaceutical, medical, and fuel sectors. The company also offers a proprietary branded product, Alcofreeze Base © for the screenwash market. The portfolio architecture is organized by ethanol grade and application, with different specifications tailored to meet the exacting requirements of each industry vertical.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alcofreeze Base: Europe's most sold screenwash grade ethanol blend, developed in 2004 for the screenwash market

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ greenhouse gas savings compared to petrol for European-produced ethanol
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AlcoNCP (National Chemical Products)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlcotra Africa is the exclusive distributor of alcohol and DDGS (Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles) produced by AlcoNCP, which has 150-year history of neutral alcohol production and distribution. AlcoNCP has production plants in Durban and Mauritius. Alcotra Africa was established in 2021 as the sales and distribution department of AlcoNCP.
• ISCC PLUS Certification BodycoreOthersAlcotra focuses on ISCC PLUS certification as a key sustainability certification process that encompasses carbon-saving aspects of production and supply chain, along with social and governance aspects of business operations.
• ECHA (European Chemicals Agency)coreOthersAlcotra Europe is registered on ECHA Article 95, which relates to biocidal product active substances in the EU market.
• Global Ethanol ProducerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing commercial relationships with global ethanol producers enabling consistent supply of high-quality product to end users in cosmetics, personal care, household cleaning, printing inks, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals industries.
• Global Supply PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlcotra works with customers and global supply partners to achieve sustainability standards. With own production plants in Europe and South Africa, the company has established supply partnerships with producers worldwide who deliver consistently high levels of performance in quality and sustainability.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: One of the world's largest privately held agricultural commodity traders, with extensive ethanol production, trading, and logistics capabilities globally. Compares to Alcotra as a much larger incumbent in the same ethanol and industrial alcohol supply chains.
• Louis Dreyfus Company: Global merchant and processor of agricultural commodities including ethanol and biofuels. Comparable to Alcotra as a vertically integrated commodity trader moving ethanol and related products across multiple geographies.
• ADM (Archer Daniels Midland): Major global agribusiness with significant ethanol production and a sizable Industrial Ingredients segment serving beverage, pharmaceutical, and personal-care customers. Directly comparable ethanol trading and distribution footprint to Alcotra's.
• Green Plains Inc. US-based ethanol producer and merchant with growing presence in low-carbon ingredients. Comparable to Alcotra's industrial and beverage ethanol distribution model, though at a larger production scale.
• POET: Largest ethanol producer in the world with vertically integrated production and distribution. Comparable to Alcotra as a major participant in the global ethanol supply chain serving fuel and industrial markets.
• Wilmar International: Asia's largest agribusiness with significant ethanol and biofuel operations, particularly in Asia-Pacific. Comparable to Alcotra's regional ethanol trading presence across Asian markets.
• Bunge Global: Major global agribusiness and commodity merchant with sugar-ethanol operations in Brazil. Comparable to Alcotra's trading relationships with Brazilian ethanol producers and global alcohol export flows.

Direct peers

• Eco-Energy: One of the largest ethanol distributors in the United States, supplying fuel and industrial-grade ethanol across multiple end markets. Comparable to Alcotra as a focused ethanol merchant with logistics and storage assets.
• ED&F Man: Global commodity merchant specializing in sugar, ethanol, coffee, and other soft commodities. Highly comparable to Alcotra as a mid-sized specialist trader distributing ethanol and alcohol products across multiple regions.

Regional players

• Saracen Energy & Chemicals: Singapore-based ethanol and chemicals distributor serving Asian markets with a similar focus on industrial and beverage alcohol grades. Comparable to Alcotra Asia's regional role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries14 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 alcotra