Eduardo Monteiro, president of the EQM Group/ Photo: Paullo Almeida/Folha PE Another deal around the green economy is about to come to fruition in two states in the Northeast. The EQM Group and ZEG Biogs, the biogas and biomethane business arm of Vibra Energia (formerly BR Distribuidora) join forces to produce high-purity biomethane in Alagoas and Pernambuco. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has already been signed and in the coming days the contract will be signed between the parties.
The two new biomethane production units will be located on the properties of the EQM Group: Usina Utinga, in Alagoas, and Usina Cucau, in Pernambuco – where the project is a pioneer. The investments are over R$ 90 million. The combined production capacity, in this first phase of implementation alone, is over 5.6 million cubic meters of biomethane annually.
While the EQM Group will provide areas for the physical facilities of the units and will be the supplier of all the raw material necessary for the production of biogas, ZEG will be responsible for the entire technological solution for the generation of biogas and for the purification of the ANP standard biofuel.
ZEG will also be responsible for exclusively selling all the biomethane produced in the two units to its customers, whether industrial or fleet owners, who seek to replace diesel fuel in their vehicles. The payment of the investment will be made in the course of the implementation with equal participation.
Sustainability
With the new operations, the Pernambuco group, led by businessman Eduardo de Queiroz Monteiro, advances in its sustainability policy, as it will use green fuel, which will significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by its fleet, generating value in its production chain.
"We will use the biomethane produced to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our business, thus making our activities even more sustainable and aligned with the global ESG agenda, generating value for the entire production chain," said Eduardo Monteiro.
According to him, the MOU aimed to make it possible to carry out the final studies, prepare the executive project and obtain installation licenses for each of the production units to be built.
The Cucau Plant will be the first unit in Pernambuco to produce biomethane/Photo: Arthur de Souza Folha PE Expansion in the Northeast
"This is another important step for ZEG Biogs, as it allows the expansion of biomethane production in two more states in the Northeast", comments Eduardo Acquaviva, CEO of ZEG Biogs. "In a little less than six months, we were able to idealize and put into practice the creation of a local hub for the generation of this biofuel, and in the next semester we will start the works", he adds.
According to Acquaviva, the technology to be applied in this project is modular, and will allow future expansions, according to the consolidation of the biomethane market in Brazil. The equipment used is developed by ZEG Biogs and its strategic partnerships for the tropicalization of equipment in Brazil, enabling rapid installation and operation of units even in places where the company does not have direct operations.
Biomethane is a by-product of biogas purification. This, in turn, is the gas removed from the anaerobic decomposition process (in the absence of oxygen) of organic waste such as garbage, urban sewage, agriculture, livestock, pig farming, and dairy cattle. In the case of mills, it will come from sugarcane.
Biogas has in its composition the main presence of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), ranging from 50% to 70% of the total, and, in smaller quantities, hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S), moisture (H2O) and other gases, such as nitrogen (N2).
It is through a biogas upgrading process, with the purification and separation of methane and carbon dioxide that biomethane is produced. Methane is a direct substitute for natural gas, and in addition to being able to be used as a fuel for transportation (CNG), it also has applicability in industry, homes and in the production of nitrogen fertilizers.
NDE Group
The EQM Group is inserted in the sugar-energy sector, with a long tradition through its units Usina Utinga, in Alagoas, and Usina Cucau, in Pernambuco, focused on the production of sugar, ethanol and electricity, in addition to various by-products of sugarcane, including vinasse that will be used as a primary raw material for the production of biomethane. subsequently maintaining its characteristics as a fertilizer of excellent quality, within its program of advancing sustainability.
ZEG Biogas, in turn, offers innovative and exclusive solutions for biogas generation and biomethane purification for industries, agribusinesses, fleets and municipalities, which want to reduce the negative impacts caused by the use of fossil fuels, without losing competitiveness. Its strategic plan foresees R$2 billion in investments over a period of up to five years for the production and distribution of biomethane to its customers.
ZEG Biogs is a company that is part of Vibra Energia's decarbonization solutions platform and is listed on B3 (VBR3). The company holds 50% of its share capital, together with the companies FSL (25%) and Capital Energia (25%).