Advanced BioFuels USA

Federal University of Goiás Holds an Event on the Impacts of Brazilian Biofuels Policy

by Bruno Roque and Jakeline de Oliveira * (University of Goiás/Advanced Biofuels USA) The New Brazilian Policy for biofuels called RenovaBio was one of the topics addressed at the 15th Congress of Research, Education and Extension (Conpeex) held on October 16, 2018, at Federal University of Goiás (UFG in Portuguese). The event reunited renowned speakers from various areas of knowledge among authorities and specialists to present the formulation of this program to the Goiás state community and stakeholders. The goal of the event was to understand the importance of this and its social and economic impacts.

Dr. Lais Thomaz opens the 15th Congress of Research, Education and Extension (Conpeex) at Federal University of Goiás

RenovaBio can be considered a State policy, with the objective of Brazil’s decarbonization with a long-term policy of biofuels. RenovaBio aims at a joint strategy to recognize the role of all types of biofuels in the Brazilian energy matrix, in order to provide greenhouse gas emission reduction.

During the opening ceremony, the organizer of this event and coordinator of the Global Studies Center (NEG in Portuguese) of the UFG and board member of Advanced Biofuels USA, Prof. Dr. Laís Thomaz emphasized the need for greater visibility of the theme which includes new technologies that promote economic, social and ecological sustainability. In addition, she emphasized the need for a dialogue among the academic community, the private and public sector and society.

Representing the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Miguel Ivan de Oliveira spoke about the importance of biofuels and their positive externalities – RenovaBio will generate more jobs, benefiting the economy and promoting a better quality of life and health for society.

The superintendent of the Brazilian Union on Biodiesel and Biokerosene (UBRABIO), Donizete Tokarski stated that Brazil needs clean fuels for its vehicles, arguing that biodiesel should be in all public transportation. Tokarski also spoke about the positive externalities.

Biodiesel would provide economic innovations and technological development, he said. For this paradigm shift to work, it is important to have transparency, sustainability, credibility and greater interaction among government, society and academia. In addition, for him, RenovaBio will contribute with job creation, competitiveness and verticalization of production. He questioned the lack of investments and decisions that favor the use of the biofuels in all forms of transport.

From the academic perspective, Joachim Werner Zang, coordinator of the Research and Extension Group on Sustainable Technologies and Processes and also professor of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Goiás (IFG in Portuguese), presented his research on biogas.

UBRABIO’s Donizete Tokarski talks about biofuels’ positive externalities.

The researcher discussed the existing technologies in other countries that can be inserted in the Brazilian biogas plants, such as biogas reactors and how they can be used in small- or large-scale production. According to Zang, biogas production technology generates energy from moist organic waste and, compared to other renewable energy sources, such as wind and photovoltaic, biogas production has the potential for energy storage.

The researcher presented cases of successful biogas production in Brazil. The plants in the states of São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro and Paraná indicate that there are large production opportunities to increase the production of this biofuel. Zang is currently working on the “Brazilian reactor”, a project in partnership with UFG and IFG since 2017.

Pietro Mendes, from the Brazilian National Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP in Portuguese), stated that for an energy transition to a low carbon economy, it is important to have good public policies. In his words, “Having a public policy gives a direction of investments and gives the predictability of what model the country wants.” Mendes also emphasized that to have a good energy transition requires energy policies and regulation and also, “It is necessary to interact with technologies, institutions and society. The articulation of all sectors is very important – we live in an era of cooperation.”

This event was a good opportunity to have productive dialogue between academia, private sector and the public officers to discuss the challenges of this public policy and its enormous relevance for the future of the production and consumption of clean and renewable energies in Brazil.

*Bruno Roque and Jakeline de Oliveira are undergraduate students at the University of Goiás.

Biogas: The Boost of Innovation on New Renewable Energies

by Cácia Pimentel* (Mackenzie University/Advanced Biofuels USA) The V Biogas Forum promoted by the Brazilian Association of the Producers of Biogas and Biomethane – ABIOGAS was held in Sao Paulo on October 31 and November 1, 2018. According to Camila D’Aquino, Executive Manager of ABIOGAS, the Forum brought together around 50 leading companies, policymakers, specialists and over 200 attendees in order to discuss the opportunities and the challenges in the biogas sector.

Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide produced by the bacterial decomposition of organic wastes and used as a fuel.

New renewable sources (wind farms and offshore, solar, tidal or oceanic, hydrogen, biogas, among others) are characterized by clean energy and low environmental impact in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

For instance, Dr. Miguel Ivan Lacerda explained that biogas is included in RenovaBio, Brazil’s national biofuels policy that establishes initiatives of sustainability, decarbonization and greenhouse effect, in accordance with the commitments signed in the Paris Agreement.

Biogas is a non-intermittent source that generates renewable and clean energy. The advantages of biogas are not restricted to energy generation, but it also helps in reducing methane and carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Therefore, it has a high potential to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reducations and defossilization. Furthermore, biogas can solve the social problem of landfills and generate wealth for slum communities.

Leading countries, such as the United States, Germany, United Kingdom and Canada have been experiencing a great scale and growth of biogas production due to the improvement of the regulatory and supporting subsidy schemes.

Mr. Marco Mazzaferro, Business Manager of Greenlane Biogas, provided relevant information on incentive policies for biomethane production in Canada.

Bernard Sheff, Chairman of American Biogas Council, noted that the US biogas market has approximately 2,200 operational biogas systems, including 253 on dairy and swine farms. The potential in the United States is for more than 13,500 new biogas systems, according to the Obama White House Roadmap. The numbers show huge potential growth of the market.

Sheff understands that dairy gas will grow once producers get: more price certainty, especially with rules beyond 2020; standardized reasonable pipeline gas quality specifications and streamlined cost and process to interconnect; and encouragement for renewable gas demand for heavy duty trucking.

Biogas Forum attendees also got the opportunity to listen to Dr. Deborah Sacks, representing the UK Department of International Trade. She informed that the UK offers three different subsidy regimes to the biofuel market: Heat generation supported through the Renewable Heat Incentive; Electricity generation supported through Contracts of Difference; and Transport fuels supported through the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation. Reducing landfill is incentivized through the UK Landfill Tax.

Brazil presents a great possibility of expansion and use of biogas, as a complement to fossil fuels. In this sense, the technological advances of biomethane (CH4) deserve special mention.

This biofuel has the potential to solve the precarious conditions of basic sanitation in the country and to drive the innovations of the hydrogen economy. Specific investments in the biogas/biomethane production chain would allow a high economic impact. Appropriate public policies could transform the reality of landfills into wealth and cooperate with the achievement of the UNSDG.

The current pace of development requires focused attention on the new Brazilian Government in order to develop new incentive policies to the production of biomethane. It would require a new Brazilian Regulatory Statute that would include new laws and policies to boost the growth of the new renewable energy industry.

*The author is a PhD Candidate in Economic Law, Mackenzie University, SP, Brazil (merit scholarship); Master’s degree in international and Economic Law, Cornell University, NY, United States; MBA in Economic Law, FGV-DF, Brazil; Law Professor; public policies and government expenditure specialist; contact: caciapimentel2012@gmail.com; LinkedIn https://br.linkedin.com/in/cacia-pimentel-532887113; http://lattes.cnpq.br/5669016828483675

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