Camila Agner DâAquino
Over the past 5 years the biogas industry in Brazil is shifting from a low-technology to a high-tech sector. With this, many new projects to produce large amount of biogas to energy – especially in the agribusiness sector -, have been implemented. Brazil can produce 44.1 billion Nm3/year of biogas, which means a potential to generate 170,912 GWh of electricity per year or replace 40.8 billion liters of diesel. The highest potential is from the sugarcane sector, while sanitation represents only 0.05% of the total potential. However, poor waste management, especially in urban centers, causes a severe impact on human health and the environment. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the scenario of precarious sanitation in the country since many homes do not have access to basic hygiene, and lower-income neighborhoods have shown higher mortality rates. The major organic waste and effluents produced in the urban centers - food waste, sanitary sewage and pruning – are valueble tools to improve the environmental and healthy conditions of these areas. Recent programs are being implemented to stimulate biofuels (RenovaBio Program), to attract investments to the gas sector (New Market Gas), and to encourage the diversification and efficiency in the electrical sector (Reform of the Electricity Sector), and this is expected to impact on advances to a solid grown of biogas into the Brazilian energy matrix..
