ABiogás, a Brazilian association of companies with a renewable natural gas (RNG) focus, will present a proposal to the Ministry of Mines and Energy for supported introduction of the fuel, pointing out it needs no additional refuelling infrastructure given the country’s long established Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel industry where there are about 1,693 filling stations.
During the Biogas Industry Forum, held in Sao Paulo late last year, experts, researchers, politicians and businessmen agreed that Brazil’s potential for installation of biogas technology is indisputable and new steps for its integration in the energy matrix were presented.
Besides being a source of renewable energy, RNG stands out from other alternative sources as a fuel harvested from waste product and wastewater, contributing to emissions reduction and with potential generation and application in a decentralized manner, well suited to rural and other off-grid fuelling of local fleets.
The nearly 180 participants also had first-hand access to the Proposal of the National Programme of Biogas and Biomethane – PNBB. Presented by ABiogás, the PNBB proposes the first specific public policy for biogas and biomethane. By presenting the proposal to the Government, ABiogás aims to establish specific conditions for investment in RNG that are attractive to potential producers and users and which enables the fuel to become established as a reliable energy source.
In Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, another initiative is underway. The state government will submit to the Legislative Assembly at the end of February a bill formalizing the state policy of biomethane and the Gaucho Program for incentivizing Generation and Use of Biomethane (referred to as RS-gas). Secretary of State for Mines and Energy, Lucas Redecker, said that amongst the many benefits the biomethane will also give a new gas supply option to Rio Grande do Sul, now dependent on Bolivian natural gas arriving in the region for the Bolivia-Brazil (Gasbol).
Among the objectives of the initiative is the development of renewable resources, reducing the production of greenhouse gases, promoting the final disposal of organic waste and attraction of investments in infrastructure for distribution and marketing of renewable natural gas. The legislation will also allow for RNG to be mixed with natural gas.
Fleets Using RNG
An article cited by Brazilian news service GasNet reports there are already some companies using RNG:
The Itaipu Technological Park Foundation, in Foz do Iguaçu on the border with Argentina, a project developed by CIBiogás (International Centre for biogas) supplies more than 40 vehicles of Itaipu Binacional and intends to double capacity by end of 2016. The biomethane is derived from the waste of a chicken farm.
The first garbage collection truck converted to operate on biomethane began operations this month in Rio de Janeiro, using landfill gas from Aterro Sanitário Dois Arcos which receives refuse from eight municipalities in the Lakes Region. The intention is to grow to a fleet of 40 trucks within three years.
Until revisions to legislation are passed, gas derived from landfill can only be used by the waste collection fleet associated with that operation, that is, it cannot be used to refuel third-party vehicles.
(Source (in part): ABiogás)
