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Production and use of biogas from vinasse: Implications for the energy balance and GHG emissions of sugar cane ethanol in the brazilian context
Author(s) -
da Silva Neto Jorge Vinicius,
Gallo Waldyr L. R.,
Nour Edson Aparecido Abdul
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
environmental progress and sustainable energy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.495
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1944-7450
pISSN - 1944-7442
DOI - 10.1002/ep.13226
Subject(s) - vinasse , biogas , biofuel , bagasse , greenhouse gas , waste management , renewable energy , diesel fuel , environmental science , anaerobic digestion , context (archaeology) , fossil fuel , bioenergy , ethanol fuel , engineering , pulp and paper industry , chemistry , methane , ecology , fermentation , paleontology , food science , electrical engineering , organic chemistry , biology
Indicators, such as the energy balance (EB) and greenhouse gases emissions avoided (GHGEA), are frequently used to evaluate the benefits and sustainability of biofuels. Many important papers and reports have been published in recent years to demonstrate the environmental and energetic benefits of biofuels, such as ethanol from sugar cane. EB and GHGEA often include other sugar cane products, such as electricity and bagasse. The anaerobic digestion of vinasse can generate considerable amounts of biogas but is not a common practice in Brazil. This study evaluates the potential benefits to the EB and GHGEA of ethanol by the production of biogas from vinasse and its use to produce electricity or biomethane. Biomethane can be injected on the Natural Gas Grid or used as a fossil diesel oil replacement in the mill operations of harvesting and transportation of sugar cane. The results show that biogas from vinasse can represent improvement in both indicators, which ranges from 3.5% improvement in EB by electricity generation with biogas to 27.5% improvement in GHGEA by replacing diesel in the mill operations. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog,39:e13226, 2020