New momentum for Biogas in the energy sector

With an environmental permit issued by the State Foundation for Environmental Protection, President Henrique Luiz Roessler (Fepam), the company Meioeste Ambiental Ltda. prepares to build the region’s first biogas plant. The structure will be built in Candiota, next to the landfill that has been operating for five years in the city. Operations are expected to start in 2017.

The project manager, Pietro Bosco, has been working with biogas technology for 23 years. He explains that the system is one of the cleanest forms of energy, as it involves reuse of domestic urban waste. “The methane gas in the landfill, which is extremely polluting, is used to produce energy,” he said.

Investment

The company will invest R$ 10 million in the project, and work will begin later this month. Construction works are expected to last between six months and one year. “We cannot predict a more accurate completion date because we will use imported equipment in the construction,” Bosco said.

Power

The plant will initially generate 1.4 megawatts (MW). The power will later increase to 2.8 MW. The energy will be interconnected to the national system. A team of 20 people will be needed for the construction, but only five people will be needed to operate the unit. “It’s a simple plant. The most complicated part is construction”, explained the manager.

Operation

Biogas is the gas produced from the decomposition of organic matter (organic waste) by bacteria. In biogas generation, the chemical energy on the molecules of gas is converted to mechanical energy in a controlled combustion process. This mechanical energy activates a generator that produces electricity. Biogas can also be used in boilers to produce heat and power, in a cogeneration system. The plant uses methane from the decomposition of waste, extracted with the use of a vacuum system. Instead of being burnt and released into the atmosphere, the gas is used for energy production. The process reduces CO2 emissions, contributing to reduce greenhouse gases. The technology is already used in Rio Grande do Sul. The first biomass unit in the state was inaugurated in 2015, in the city of Minas do Leão.

Source: Newspaper Zero Hora – 2017