Autumn 2017 EN

Biogas Journal | Autumn_2017 English Issue
ffThe envirwonmental permitting agency
of the federal state of Minas Gerais simplified
the environmental permitting
process for plants of up to 10 MW that
convert biogas into electricity.
Biogas plants (number
and installed capacity in
MW) 2014 and 2016 in
Brazil
Biogas plants in operation
Number of plants
Installed capacity in MW
2014 2016 2014 2016
ffIn March 2016, the Brazilian Electricity
Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) amended
resolution 482/2012, which made net
metering for electricity generated from
renewable energy sources possible and
improved the framework conditions for
decentralized biogas production and
electrical power consumption. Now,
plants with up to 5 MW el
can be operated
by cooperatives and offset with the
electricity consumption in a relatively
flexible manner or an electricity credit of
up to 60 months can be saved.
ffIn March 2016, the Brazilian Ministry
of Cities included sewage gas production
and use in the list of sewage treatment
plant measures that can be financed.
ffIn December 2016, the Regulatory
Agency for Wastewater and Energy of the
Federal State of São Paulo (ARSESP) introduced
a draft of a regulation for feeding
biomethane into the natural gas grid
in São Paulo.
As a result, the framework conditions are
much better today and an increase in successful
pilot projects can be expected,
above all in the agricultural sector. In particular,
the use of biomethane for transportation
associated with agricultural
Landfill gas 7 12 77 113
Sewage gas 3 3 4 4
Agriculture 10 11 2 2
Agro-industry 2 3 0.9 1.8
Total 22 29 84 120.8
feedstocks seems promising and allows for
scalable effects in Brazil, which can now be
accessed through international technology
cooperations with Europe, and which offer
interesting possibilities for investments
with further local market development.
Companies such as AAT, Archea, Awite,
ME-LE Biogas GmbH, Eco-GmbH, Suma,
and other German and European biogas
companies have already been active in
Brazil for years and have found Brazilian
partner companies or established their
own branches. There are already large reference
plants, most of which are operated
together with local partners (see Figure 1
and Figure 2).
Alessandro Gardemann, Vice President of
Abiogás, emphasizes: “The legal and regulatory
foundations that we need for biogas
Source: Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL)
to become an industrial sector have been
established. Now we have to build the
plants. We need more investment, more
research and development, more project
developers, and more ideas for new business
models”. This means, of course, that
German technology providers are also urged
to invest in Brazil.
Authors
Jens Giersdorf
Wolfgang Roller
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(GIZ) GmbH
SCN Quadra 01, Bloco C,
Sala 1501, 70.711-902 Brasília-DF, Brazil
e-mail: jens.giersdorf@giz.de
e-mail: wolfgang.roller@giz.de
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