Biogás: evolução recente e potencial de uma nova fronteira de energia renovável para o Brasil

Abstract

Known for many years, the biogas production process using agricultural waste and effluents has suffered numerous setbacks in its implementation in Brazil. However, more recently, technological developments and the spread of technical knowledge in the sector have led to a rapid expansion in the number of plants in operation and, therefore, in the volume of biogas produced. Although auspicious, the recent growth is still rather timid in view of the potential of generation that a country with such a developed agribusiness can achieve. Due to its characteristics, the generation of biogas depends on a series of factors such as the type of waste used, the amount of methane, the quality of the biodigester and others. This number of variables leads to different estimates regarding the potential for biogas generation. This article seeks to contribute to this debate, presenting some estimates of this potential.