4 minutes with… Rafael Llano Ferro, Manager, ENTERESA

Tell us about your company and it’s role in the Advanced Bioeconomy.

We manufacture small scale raw sugar plants and small distillation plants with small sugar cane crushers, small sugar cane steam boilers and distillations towers or multiple effect evaporators. Similar as big sugar cane mills and ethanol plants, but at small scale. We will like small scale cellulosic plants from sugar bagasse in the future.

Tell us about your role and what you are focused on in the next 12 months.

During the last years we try to maintain ourselves informed about the evolution of the technology of cellulosic ethanol.

We will like to import this important technology in the near future for the benefit of the small sugar cane growers here in Colombia. This sector is really poor and having access to these technologies their future will be very different.

What do you feel are the most important milestones the industry must achieve in the next 5 years?  

We really will to have access to a technology that could be applied at small scale plants. We hope in advances in the near future in enzymes, hydrolisis or other different technology that we may applied at small scale.

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced Bioeconomy, what would you change? 

I know that it is difficult, but we will like to find technicians and investors that may be interested in small scale technology.

We have very low bagasse (feedstock) but the sugar cane is grown in the mountainsides and the cost of its transport to a big plant is too high.

Of all the reasons that influenced you to join the Advanced Bioeconomy industry, what single reason stands out for you as still being compelling and important to you?  

We have or we can cultivate very low cost feedstocks to produce cellulosic alcohol or derivates. But we need technology that could be applied to small scale.

Where are you from? 

I am from Colombia, South America. I am an economist, but i have been working during the last 25 years developing technologies that could be applied at small scale. Mainly in the sugar cane sector but we also work with small palm oil growers. This sector also produce fiber as waste they is a another low cost feed stock.

What was your undergraduate major in college, and where did you attend? Why did you choose that school and that pathway?

As i told you, I am en economist from the best university down here. But i hate to work in theoretical papers and studies.

Studying economics I understands the needs of our poor people. Poor people needs small scale technology, bigger scales is only for bigger investors.

Who do you consider your mentors – could be personal, business, or just people you have read about and admire. What have you learned from them?

From my mentors I have learned many important things. The difference between this different type of mentors is that that are much more theoretical and nos as practical that I am. I think that research and development is very important, but you must investigate in fields according to the needs of your country and your people. Many of this mentors spend time and money in “good for nothing” matters.

What’s the biggest lesson you ever learned during a period of adversity?  

We must destinate your short life time and money in useful matters.

What hobbies do you pursue, away from your work in the industry?  I like to play golf.

In this case, I prefer “large scale” golf courses.

What are 3 books you’d want to have with you, if you were stranded on a desert island

El Quixote, the Bible and “The Great Quotations”

What books or articles are on your reading list right now, or you just completed and really enjoyed?  

Local newspapers and magazines. The magazine ” Power” and ” The Economist”

What’s your favorite city or place to visit, for a holiday?  

Cartagena de Indias in our Caribbean coast.