This document discusses environmental issues related to biomass energy generation in Brazil. It provides an overview of Brazil's energy sector planning agency EPE and the role of biomass, particularly sugarcane bagasse. The summary examines the main environmental impacts of sugarcane production including land use, emissions, waste, and water usage. It also notes that expansion areas will be determined by agroecological zoning and Brazil has significant potential for further development of bioenergy.

1. Porto, September 23rd
, 2009
Ricardo Cavalcanti Furtado
Environmental Planning Manager
Empresa de Pesquisa Energética
Biomass for Energy Generation:
Environmental Issues

2. Government-owned company, linked to the Ministry of Mines
and Energy, instituted by Law n° 10.847/2004
EPE has been created to develop studies and research to
support the energy sector planning in the areas of electric
energy, oil and natural gas and its derivatives, mineral coal,
renewable energy sources and energy efficiency
Empresa de Pesquisa Energética

3. Energy Planning in Brazil

4. HIGH PROPORTION OF HYDRO POWER
LONG TRANSMISSION LINES
INTENSIVE CAPITAL
LONG TERM INVESTMENTS
HIGH UNCERTANTIES
MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES
COMPLEMENTARY GENERATION
SEASONALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Brazilian Power Sector Planning
RISK ANALYSIS
FAIR TARIFF
DIVERSITY
INTEGRATION
ENERGY SECURITY

5. NATIONAL ENERGY PLANNING
NATIONAL ENERGY OUTLOOK
TEN YEAR ENERGY PLANNING
AUCTIONS
Crude Oil and
Natural Gas
Electric Power
Transmission
Biofuels
PROGRAMMING VIEW
SHORT AND MEDIUM TERM
STUDIES (10 YEARS AHEAD)
STRATEGY VIEW
LONG TERM STUDIES (30
YEARS AHEAD)
Planning Process

6. Scenarios for Electricity 2030 (GW)
Source: PNE 2030
142,1
224,9
100,5
0
50
100
150
200
250
2005 2015 2030
Year
GW
Imports + Other
Biomass
Wind
Small Hydro
Other thermal
Coal
Nuclear
Natural Gas
Large Hydro Power
Plants
7,9 GW

7. Source: National Energy Balance. EPE, 2008
Energy in Brazil – Energy Sources Share
Renew able Sources Share
54%
93%
87%13%
7%
46%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Brazil
OECD
World
Renewable
Non-renewable

8. Wood &
charcoal;
11,99%
Sugarcane
products;
15,88%
Hydro;
14,89%
Nuclear;
1,40%
Coal & coal
derived;
5,99%
Natural Gas;
9,29%
Oil & oil
derived;
37,36%
Energy in Brazil – Energy Sources Share
Source: National Energy Balance. EPE, 2008
Ethanol
Bagasse
Straw
Cogeneration
Vehicles
Charcoal
consumed by
blast furnaces.

9. Transmission Lines
Planned System - 2017Existing System

10. Biomass

11. Biomass participation in the Energy Auctions
Auction Plants Power (MW)
2005 25 766
A3/2006 25 967
A5/2006 29 1.104
Alternative Sources/2007 12 214
A3/2007 50 1.555
A5/2007 34 1.046
Biomass/2008 (Stock Auction) 31 2.379
A5/2008 1 114
Total 207 8.144
Environmental Information Analysis in the auctions
 Plant carachteristics
 Environmental licensing
 Reserve of water availability and allowance for water use

12. The ethanol/sugar production chain
Main environmental issues:
• Food competition
• Land use on expansion areas
• Energy Balance
• Emissions
• Solid waste
• Liquid effluents
• Water consumption
• Employment (quantity and quality)

13. 7,9
14,6
84,8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
10
6
ha
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
(%)
Crop area (M ha) Acumulated expansion (%)
Crop area (M ha) 7,9 8,7 9,6 10,3 11,2 12,1 12,8 13,5 14,1 14,6
Acumulated expansion
(%)
15,8 21,5 30,4 41,8 53,2 62,0 70,9 78,5 84,8
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Source: EPE, 2009 based on Municipal
Agricultural Research developed by IBGE
2006
Current sugarcane production and expansion perspectives
Year
Sugarcane
(Mt)
Ethanol
(billion
liters)
2008 553 25,6
2009 609 29,2
2010 677 33,5
2011 734 37,6
2012 800 42,3
2013 871 47,3
2014 929 51,5
2015 985 55,7
2016 1029 59,8
2017 1075 63,9
Source: EPE, 2009. PDE 2008-2017
Amazon
Pantanal
SavannaSavanna
Caatinga
Mata
Atlântica

14. Where to expand?
• The National Agro-ecologic Zoning for the sugarcane
harvesting will determine the most appropriate areas to
expand the sugarcane production (under development –
coming soon)
– Soil
– Climate
– Environmental issues
• It’s desirable that the
expansion occurs on non-
productive areas such as
abandoned crop fields and
pasture areas Suitable
Suitable with environmental limitations
Suitable with environmental constraints
inappropriate
Agroecologic zoning - SP
Example of Agro-ecologic
zoning developed by SP
Government (2008)

15. Food competition
• Sugarcane can be considered as food (sugar and other
products), but the part destined to ethanol (today
~55%) doesn’t compete with this purpose
• Some studies, based on satellite images
(INPE/CANASAT), have found that the last 4-year
expansion occurred mainly over consolidated agriculture
and pasture areas
• The production of grains, rice, fruits (almost all) has
increased continuously
• Currently, in Brazil, the sugarcane production does not
influence food prices

16. Energy Balance
• The sugarcane provides one of the best energy balances
in bioethanol production
• The energy “Output/Input” index in the Life Cycle of
sugarcane ethanol = 8.1
• The bagasse cogeneration ensures the energy self-
consumption (power, mechanic and thermal) in the
sugar/ethanol plants
• The power excess can be sold for the Interconnected
System (Auctions)

17. Emissions
• In Brazil, ethanol (hydrous and anhydrous) substitutes a great
amount of gasoline consumption. As consequence, even taking
into account the life cycle emissions, it avoids significant amounts
of GHG emissions
• The use of biofuels also reduces the SOx, particulates and VOC
emissions in comparison with gasoline and diesel
• Burning of straw in the field
facilitates manual sugarcane
picking. However it causes
air pollution in regional
scale. Recently, regulation
and agreements established
a schedule to gradually
mechanize the sugarcane
picking

18. Solid waste and liquid effluents
• Technically, bagasse and straw
can be considered as co-products
of sugarcane production. Both can
be used for energetic purposes.
Part of the straw is also important
for soil covering
• Currently, the vinasse (high BOD)
produced is destined for the crop
field in substitution for chemical
fertilizers
• Other liquid effluents can be
easily treated before released on
the environment (rivers) Vinasse sluice - Usina Coruripe, AL

19. Water consumption
• In Brazil, sugarcane harvesting doesn’t need irrigation.
However, sugar/ethanol plants consume a significant amount of
water
• Water consumption – national average
– 1997 = 5,0 m3
/t.sc
– 2008 = 1,0 – 2,0 m3
/t.sc
– New plants = 0,7 – 1,0 m3
/t.sc
• The water availability is one
of the main environmental
constraints on new plants
licensing, particularly in the
Southeast Region
Sugarcane washing

20. Employment
• Sugarcane manual picking requires a large number of workers.
However, these jobs are extremely exhaustive and don’t need
schooling (low level income)
• The mechanization of sugarcane picking will certainly reduce the
number of jobs in the sector. This will create better jobs
(salubrity and level income)
• There are public and private
initiatives to regulate the social
aspects of sugar/ethanol
production chain in Brazil. An
international certification
system could guarantee this
goal
Sugarcane manual picking

21. Other possibilites in bioenergy
• Increasing the use of sugarcane straw in cogeneration
• Ligno-celullose ethanol
• Biogas from sewage, biodigestors and landfill
• Woodchips and agriculture scraps
• Elephantgrass for power generation
• Biodiesel from vegetable oil, fried oil, tallow and other
fatty raw materials

22. Conclusions
• Today, biomass power generation in Brazil uses
predominantly sugarcane bagasse as fuel
• Sugarcane bagasse is a co-product of the sugar/ethanol
production chain
• Currently, the sugarcane production does not affect the
Amazon and Pantanal areas
• The expansion areas for sugarcane will be determined by
the Agro-ecologic Zoning
• The Brazilian sugar/ethanol industry manages the most of
environmental impacts in sugar/ethanol production chain
• Brazil has a great potential on bioenergy

23. Ricardo Cavalcanti Furtado
Superintendente de Meio Ambiente
Empresa de Pesquisa Energética
www.epe.gov.br