Biorefineries are Brazilian models in the world , says expert

For Paul Seleghim , trial and error since the Proálcool agribusinesses become national reference

by Viviane Taguchi , Ribeirão Preto ( SP )

( For experts , the errors from the hits Proálcool possibilitaramo development of bioenergy in Brazil - Photo : Petrobras Agency )

Brazilian ethanol biorefineries are already a reference model for the rest of the planet , including the most industrially developed countries in this segment . The statement is the expert in bioenergy Seleghim Paul , Professor, University of São Carlos ( Ufscar / USP ) , author of a study that seeks greater efficiency in biorefineries . Seleghim participated , on Tuesday ( 29/10 ) of the Seminar on Low Carbon Economy ( KBE ) , which takes place at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, USP , Ribeirão Preto ( SP ) .

The specialist credits this success to numerous mistakes and successes that the agroindustrial cane sugar has been going since mid- 1975 when the Alcohol Program was created . He cites some greenfield projects as examples of technology and industrial efficiency . " Today , we have plants with capacity to receive 500 tons per day . It's great , but to ensure the future , we have to think now 1 million tons per day . "

Despite the high degree of development, the mechanism of industrial plants still need to seek technological maturity not to ' hang ' in the coming years . "The main obstacle in general , is still in the mechanisms of receiving the raw material coming from the field. Because, nowadays, with mechanization , we have a new problem , which is the excess of impurities that are coming with the raw material in the industry, " says Seleghim . These impurities are earth, stones and pieces of machinery. " The adoption of agricultural technologies push the industry to pursue technological maturity ," he says .

To increase industrial efficiency , and especially to reduce environmental impacts in agroindustrial production , Seleghim says biorefineries that will add value to production systems . " It is a sensitive technology that allow an industry to produce other biochemical components of high value, and encourage the capture and recapture of CO ² " , the expert explains , citing mainly second-generation ethanol and biochemical components . " With the adoption of these systems more technological , the CO ² could even be reinjected underground ."

The product derived from this innovation is generated through a process of oxy - combustion in boilers , a kind of mechanism that separates oxygen from carbon dioxide, through rising temperatures and pressure, generating supercritical CO ² . "The result is an emulsion , which seems to mayonnaise, but which can be reinjected into the ground. It is a way to return the CO ² to deep layers , "explains the expert.

Source : Globo Rural Magazine ( Brazil ) .