North American energy consultant Sally E. Greenberg, Ph.D., who has more than 25 years of experience in carbon management, in São Paulo, says developing CCS projects is crucial. Huge revenue opportunity for ethanol plants in Brazil.
The same equipment that injects carbon to help pump oil is now ready to improve the sustainability of ethanol, which is increasingly replacing fossil energy.
According to Sally, who coordinated the first carbon capture and storage project in the United States — and who leads the global market in the sector — CCS in ethanol prevents carbon from entering the atmosphere that would otherwise be emitted.
“The carbon dioxide generated in ethanol production is still the most suitable for storage because it is the purest form of carbon, with a high carbon content and little water. This makes it easily grippy and dry when the water is removed. The fact is that the carbon generated in the ethanol industry is practically ready for storage, due to its high degree of concentration – unlike other sectors where carbon dioxide needs to be separated from other gases.
The explanation is that the biomass used to make biofuels comes from plants, meaning carbon is captured as they grow, but is released back into the atmosphere when converted into energy. However, if this CO2 were captured and transported to a permanent storage location, such as underground, this would result in passive CO2 removal, meaning a greater amount of that emitted would be captured.
Negative ethanol footprint and carbon credits
CCS activity in the ethanol sector can generate financial gains for plants through the generation and sale of carbon credits and also through the certification of biofuels as “zero emitter” or “negative emitter.” This allows ethanol to be monetized at a higher price in international markets that value this property. For example, carbon dioxide capture and storage is provided for in the National Biofuels Policy Act (RenovaBio) and could mean the opportunity to generate a greater volume of carbon removal credits (CBios) and thus income for ethanol plants.
Brazil has a carbon sequestration capacity of about 200 million tons of CO2 equivalent per year, given the current level of economic activity in the country. In this sense, the Brazilian market for soil carbon capture and storage is expected to generate between R$14 and R$20 billion annually, with significant participation from the ethanol sector, according to CCS Brasil estimates. The global CCS market is expected to reach US$3.54 billion in 2024, with an expected reach of US$14.51 billion in 2032.
Ethanol from sugarcane produced in Brazil already reduces gas emissions that contribute to climate change by up to 90%. Capturing and storing the carbon dioxide produced during the biofuel production process makes the carbon footprint smaller, and becomes negative.
“The more than 360 plants producing ethanol in Brazil, especially in the state of São Paulo, have the opportunity to make the country a world leader in this market, opening the doors to obtain carbon credits and creating another source of income for the state. Plants,” notes geologist Everton Oliveira, president of the company. Hidroplan, the organizer of the event in partnership with the CCS Brasil entity. “Capturing and storing carbon dioxide in deep geological deposits is a window into the future of a better planet, as cutting-edge technology from the oil industry is now joining the biofuel production process, allowing the generation of fuels with a negative carbon footprint,” the executive added.
According to CCS Brasil Director, Natalia Weber, the Fuel of the Future Law has arrived to create the regulatory framework for CCS in the country, setting general guidelines for the activity. “The legislation will give a final start to this issue in Brazil, opening up projects already underway, which are now moving towards the real implementation phase. We have the technical knowledge, geological conditions and regulations. Disclosure
