The virtual meeting is free and takes place on March 16, Thursday, from 14 pm. Activity takes place in partnership with IDR/PR, EPAGRI/SC and Emater/RS-ASCAR.

Biogas in the Rural Environment. This is the theme of the webinar that precedes the 5th South Brazilian Forum on Biogas and Biomethane. The online meeting takes place on March 16, Thursday, from 14 pm, with transmission on the Youtube page of the Forum @forumsulbrasileirodebiogas1250 (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWkJ-4WF56Gk-H0geEEeQ7Q). Mediated by Ricardo Steinmetz, an analyst at Embrapa Suínos e Aves and president of the Brazilian Society of Specialists in Waste from Agricultural and Agroindustrial Production (Sbera), three cases of biogas production plants installed on rural properties in southern Brazil will be shared.

The online activity counts on the organization of the 5th South Brazilian Biogas and Biomethane Forum, in partnership with the Rural Development Institute of Paraná (IDR/PR), the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (EPAGRI/SC ) and Emater/RS-ASCAR.

Speakers will be:

- Fabio Heck from the company Bioköhler, and rural producers Valdir and Noemia Rossetto, who will talk about “Biogas in Swine Farming: an example of viability at Granja Rossetto (Toledo/PR)”.

- Osnei Muniz, from EPAGRI/SC, Vilmar and Bianca Bossy, father and daughter, share the case “Small-Scale Biodigester for Cattle: Experiences at the Bossy Family Property (Santa Terezinha/SC)”.

- João Sampaio, from Emater/RS-ASCAR, and Nestor Reckziegel present the work on “Sustainable Milk Production: case of Granja Reckziegel (Paverama/RS)”.

“The webinar is an important moment to show real cases, in which the biogas produced is used by rural producers. It is also a space where you can learn about the experience of other pork and beef producers and learn about the subject, from the possibility of using biogas for cooking and for generating electricity”, points out Ricardo Steinmetz, an analyst at Embrapa Suínos and Aves and president of the Brazilian Society of Specialists in Waste from Agricultural and Agroindustrial Production (Sbera), who will mediate the meeting. After the explanations, the webinar opens space for questions and debates.

THE STRENGTH OF THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT

The participants of the meeting and the audience that will follow the webinar will be able to discuss the strength of the rural environment in the production of biogas. The substrates used to generate biogas in Brazil are divided into three categories: agriculture, industry and sanitation. Agriculture involves animal husbandry activities, such as poultry, cattle, goats, pigs, among others.

In 2021, according to the technical note Panorama do Biogás no Brasil, carried out by CIBiogás, the agricultural sector was responsible for 80% of the biogas plants in operation in the country. While the industrial sector and the sanitation sector contributed 11% and 9%, respectively, in the number of plants. In southern Brazil, there are 191 plants installed in rural areas, with emphasis on the state of Paraná, which accounts for more than half of this number.

The example of Paverama, in Rio Grande do Sul

Agronomist Nestor Luis Reckziegel will present the experience of the biogas plant at Granja Reckziegel, in Paverama (RS), in operation since December 2022. He and his father, Enidio José Reckziegel, manage the rural enterprise that has dairy cattle production and adds up to 444 heads.

Resulting from the waste of 200 cows, the daily production of 200m³ of biogas is used to generate electricity and biofertilizer, used on the farm. The property has an 8.400m³ biodigester with an energy production capacity of 70 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and meets 70% of the demand.

EmaterRS – ASCAR monitors the development of the project and assisted the family in forwarding funding for the implementation of the initiative.

In Santa Terezinha (SC), biogas benefits family property