Raízen inaugurated the world's largest biogas plant in October, with production made from sugarcane derivatives. The initiative reinforces the company's commitment to the energy transition through the generation and production of renewable and sustainable energy and products.
In this interview, Marina Carlini, the company's sustainability manager, who has been raising the green flag for over 15 years, explains how Raízen became a pioneer in the sugar-energy sector.
“New technologies contribute directly to the environment by reusing byproducts from the ethanol and sugar production process, and creating renewable and sustainable products that help to clean up the Brazilian energy matrix, contributing to the mitigation of emissions and impacts on the environment,” he explains, considering the process a revolution in the area of circular economy.
Read our interview below:
CEBDS – How did the biogas plant project come about and how was it implemented?
Marina Carlini – Construction of the biogas plant in Guariba began in August 2018 and was inaugurated in October 2020. The unit has the capacity to produce 138,000 MWh per year, enough to supply a city like Araraquara, in the interior of São Paulo. The project has an installed capacity of 21 MW and is one of Raízen's efforts to further diversify its renewable energy portfolio, which includes the production of first and second generation ethanol, cogeneration through biomass and pellets.
The 363,000 m² (36.3 hectares) plant with 153,1000 m² of built area is the result of a joint venture between Raízen and Geo Energética, a partnership that reinforces the company's pioneering role in innovation and development actions in the sector.
The unit recently received authorization from CPFL and ANEEL to sell energy and began supplying the generated energy to the grid. Of the 138,000 MWh of installed capacity per year, 96,000 MWh will be sold under a contract negotiated at an auction in 2016, which Raízen won. The excess energy may be traded on the free market or through other contracts.
CEBDS – How important is this project for Raízen?
Marina Carlini – The project reinforces the company's commitment to the energy transition through the generation and production of renewable and sustainable energy and products. With the biogas plant, Raízen assumes a strategic position in the renewable energy market. In addition, the energy generated by biogas can be produced throughout the year, which offers energy stability for both industry and impacting the country's economic development in a sustainable manner.
Raízen is already the largest producer of energy generated from sugarcane bagasse, with the current capacity to supply a city like Rio de Janeiro for up to a year, through a constant and predictable source, which has its peak production precisely in the driest period of the year, when the water matrix is most stressed. The company, a reference in the sector as a source of clean energy generation, reinforces, through its initiative in the production of biogas, even more its commitment to operating in a circular economy system, taking advantage of all the byproducts and inputs used in our processes to generate new products, as is also the case, for example, in the production of second-generation ethanol and sugarcane bagasse pellets. The more energy products we extract from the same raw materials, the more sustainable the operation becomes.
In this sense, we are pioneers in the sugar-energy sector, with the development of new technologies that directly contribute to the environment by reusing by-products from the ethanol and sugar production process, and creating renewable and sustainable products that help to clean up the Brazilian energy matrix, contributing to the mitigation of emissions and impacts on the environment.
CEBDS – What is your long-term goal?
Marina Carlini – The project represents a revolution in the treatment of agro-industrial waste, consolidating the circular economy practice adopted in its production processes. With the same amount of sugarcane, it will be possible to increase energy production by up to 50%. In other words, 1,000 tons of sugarcane produces 50 MWh through the process of burning sugarcane straw. Now, another 25 MWh will be added through the biodigestion of filter cake and vinasse, increasing the potential for generating electricity with the same planted area by 50%. It is worth mentioning that, even after the biogas production process, the resulting residue will still be used as a “turbocharged” fertilizer, rich in potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. In addition, biogas can also be converted into biomethane, to be used as fleet fuel and an important alternative to diesel, contributing to the process of replacing fossil fuels in the energy matrix.
CEBDS – How does Raízen believe that technology can work in favor of sustainability?
Marina Carlini – Raízen believes that the future of the national energy matrix lies in the valorization of sustainable sources. The company sees this movement as a possible response to a global need for effective changes in the sector. Because of this, the company increasingly reinforces its role as an integrated energy company and a protagonist in the energy transition as a way to mitigate the impacts caused by climate change. The company recently announced 8 sustainability commitments to be fulfilled by 2030, improving its processes throughout the production chain, reducing the carbon footprint in ethanol production and considering investment in productivity and a portfolio of renewable energies as fundamental moves for sustainable growth.
