Assessment of Collective Production of Biomethane from Livestock Waste for Urban Transportation Mobility in Brazil and the United States

Abstract

Water, energy, and food are essential elements for human life, but face constant pressure resulting from economic development, climate change, and other global processes. Predictions of rapid economic growth, increasing population, and urbanization in the coming decades point to rapidly increasing demand for all three. In this context, improved management of the interactions among water, energy, and food requires an integrated "nexus" approach. This paper focuses on a specific nexus case: biogas generated from organic waste, a renewable source of energy created in livestock production, which can have water-quality impacts if waste enters water bodies. An innovative model is presented to make biogas and biomethane systems feasible, termed "biogas condominiums" (based on collective action given that small-and medium-scale farms on their own cannot afford the necessary investments). Based on the "farm to fuel" concept, animal waste and manure are converted into electrical and thermal energy, biofuel for transportation, and high-quality biofertilizer. This nexus approach provides multiple economic, environmental, and social benefits in both rural and urban areas, including reduction of ground and surface water pollution, decrease of fossil fuels dependence, and mitigation of greenhouse gases emissions, among others. The research finds that biogas condominiums create benefits for the whole biogas supply chain, which includes farmers, agroindustry, input providers, and local communities. The study estimated that biomethane potential in Brazil could substitute the country's entire diesel and gasoline imports as well as 44% of the total diesel demand. In the United States, biomethane potential can meet 16% of diesel demand and significantly diversify the energy matrix.

Cienciometria do uso de fontes de energia renováveis no meio rural / The scientometrics of the use of renewable energy sources in rural areas

“…Sabe-se ainda que há dificuldades quanto a distribuição de energia elétrica, em especial no alcance para todos. O aproveitamento energético de resíduos em comunidades rurais pode suprir esta carência (SILVA, et al, 2019), além de gerar múltiplos benefícios econômicos, ambientais e sociais nas áreas rurais e urbanas, incluindo a redução da poluição das águas subterrâneas e superficiais, diminuição da dependência de combustíveis fósseis e mitigação das emissões de gases de efeito estufa, entre outros (PASQUAL et al, 2018).…”

A Literature Review to Propose a Systematic Procedure to Develop “Nexus Thinking” Considering the Water–Energy–Food Nexus

“…Qualitative evaluation-social elements [41,84,88,91,122,150,[158][159][160][161]164] (a) Historical context analysis: social, demographic, economic, political, and cultural relations present in the area of study; (b) Analysis of the composition and operation of the sectoral structure: number of institutions and actors, legislations, and governance; (c) Characterization of the level of integration of the sectoral composition.…”

A Review of Commercial Biogas Systems and Lessons for Africa

“…The American Biogas Council [105] reports that there are more than 2100 operational biogas systems in the United States as of 2016, with more than 11,000 prospective sites. Biomethane potential from livestock alone is estimated at 5,128,334.6 million gallons per year, which is equivalent to 4360.41 million gallons of diesel or 4883.29 million gallons of gasoline [106]. The United States Federal and State Governments provide tax incentives, grants, performance-based incentives, soft loans, among others, for commercial biogas projects.…”

“…Estimates are that about 100 million m 3 methane could be generated daily from livestock manure, agricultural waste, wastewater and municipal waste Brazil [81]. Biomethane potential from livestock alone in Brazil is estimated at 1,961,171.9 million gallons per year, which could replace 1667.42 million gallons of diesel or 1848.34 million gallons of gasoline [106]. Brazil is the largest producer of bioelectricity in South America, with an estimated generation of 49 TWh [3].…”