Biogas gains ground in Brazil’s power generation mix
Viewed in the past as a niche source, biogas is already starting to find a relevant space in the power mix, either as generation or fuel. A significant step was taken this month with the partnership formed between the Brazilian Association of Piped Gas Distributors (Abegás) and the Brazilian Biogas Association (ABiogás).The two associations have formed a working group to develop actions to boost the injection of biomethane (highly pure biogas) in the distributors’ network, at a time when many companies are seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.According to ABiogás’s executive manager, Tamar Roitman, 25 new plants already announced have investments of around R$60 billion by 2030 to offer 30 million cubic meters a day - out of a potential that would surpass 120 million cubic meters a day."We want to transform this potential into reality," said Marcelo Mendonça, Abegás’s head of strategy and market.Data by CIBiogas, a reference center for the biofuel, show exponential growth of the source in the last five years, rising to 755 plants in 2021 from 271 plants in 2017. They produced 2.3 billion cubic meters of biogas, and supply is expected to increase by 22% as 56 plants under construction or renovation go online."The 4% of plants under construction account for 15% of the volume of biogas, which signals that the new plants will play a larger role," said Karina Navarro, a member of the technical team of CIBiogás, in a study called "Panorama do Biogás no Brasil em 2021" ("Panorama of Biogas in Brazil in 2021").Changes in regulation have the effect of forming markets, and it couldn’t be different in the segment of biogas or biomethane. One example is the regulatory framework for distributed generation in small and very small grids, in force since 2012 and updated last year, which made it possible the emergence of biogas generation companies, which receive credits when they inject electricity into the distributors’ grid.Another example was the legal framework for basic sanitation, which sets a deadline for the end of dumps, forcing the destination of solid waste to landfills, with some kind of treatment - laying the foundation for biogas. Financial incentives have also been helping biogas to make room: at the end of March, the federal government launched the Methane Zero program, which aims at encouraging production through the creation of lines of credit for new projects.There are three main sources of biogas production: residues and waste from...
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