Sergio Valdir Bajay

Energy supply from municipal wastes: The potential of biogas-fuelled buses in Brazil

Biogas is obtained from decomposing organic material. Among its components, methane is the most important one, particularly for the combustion process in vehicle engines. Biogas can be obtained from several sources. This paper discusses the potential use of biogas from municipal landfills to fuel urban transport busses in some Brazilian cities, with large environmental benefits.

Long-term electricity demand forecasting models: A review of methodologies

Abstract A representative sample of the extensive bibliography concerning energy demand analysis and forecasting, as applied to power system, is discussed in this paper. This will permit a reasonable assessment of the main approaches currently being pursued.

Food, fuels, electricity and materials from sugarcane in Brazil: costs, benefits and challenges

The use of sugarcane as an energy source makes Brazil responsible for one of the most important renewable energy programmes in the world. Besides being an important strategic and cheap option, the partial substitution of ethanol for gasoline in the country’s automobile fleet has a strong environmental appeal: it contributes to improving the air quality in urban areas and to the reduction of emissions of greenhouse‐effect gases. Fuels derived from sugarcane, which include ethanol, sugarcane processed stalks, known as bagasse, and sugarcane straw are the driving force behind profound changes in Brazil’s agriculture, industry and energy supply. These renewable fuels are already the second‐most important source of energy in the country, accounting for 16% of the country’s entire consumption, behind only petroleum. This paper presents the current status and future perspectives of the sugarcane agribusiness in Brazil, highlighting the advances in productivity, costs and exports, the environmental and social benefits of their products and the main challenges facing its future.

New Renewable Energy Sources for Electric Power Generation in Brazil

Abstract Producing electricity from wind, biomass and solar sources (WBSS) is a promising alternative from a sustainability perspective. Considering that the increasing insertion of WBSS into the Brazilian National Grid is an irreversible trend, it is essential to go deeper into the debate on the resulting impacts. Will it be possible to service the growth in load using WBSS and to what extent? Which strategy should be adopted to foster the inclusion of WBSS while retaining security of supply? The main objective of this article is to discuss the problems that surround these questions under the focus of full load servicing.

National Energy Policy: Brazil

cogeneration The simultaneous production of power (either electrical or mechanical) and useful heat (e.g., process steam) using a single fuel source. firm power Continually available power, or power that is available for a large, prespecified, part of the time. “free” electricity or gas consumer A consumer free to choose a supplier of electricity or gas, in contrast to a “captive” consumer. energy service company A business that implements energy conservation measures for its customers and is paid by them part of the corresponding cost savings. independent power producer An electrical power producer that is not a generation utility, i.e., does not have a concession contract and is not regulated. Independent producers compete, at their own risk, with other producers and, sometimes, with generation utilities in a power supply market. indicative forward planning Prospective studies, carried out or contracted by government bodies, indicating possible expansion paths and providing guidance about future investment needs to interested agents.

Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: Climate Change and Energy in the 21st Century

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Model for the development of competition in the natural gas industry in Brazil

For the last 20 years, several countries have been carrying out structural reforms in the natural gas industry, trying to achieve efficiency and economic rationality with the introduction of competition. This paper presents a model that seeks to stimulate competition in Brazils natural gas industry on the basis of a market projection to 2011, on the international experience and on the characteristics of the the countrys market, infrastructure and regulatory framework. Possible impacts of this model are also provided. According to the market projection carried out in this paper, in 2011 there will be a possible surplus of natural gas in the country. This surplus, allied to trade liberalization in the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, can stimulate the development of competition, if some changes are made in the current regulation. The model proposed herein seeks to stimulate non-discriminatory open access through regulation focused on information transparency and tariff regulation to help the development of competition. This would possibly reduce the prices to the end-user through the improvement of economic efficiency and provide additional supply and demand flexibility mechanisms.

Mechanisms for the Development of Electricity Production from Renewables in Brazil

Publisher Summary Renewable sources can provide both environmental and social benefits, as function of low or even nil atmospheric emissions, lower water consumption, more job opportunities, and foster of local economic activity. Renewable energy sources have a large relevance in the Brazilian matrix, mainly due to the importance of hydroelectricity and sugar cane products (alcohol and bagasse). Despite its historical relevance, participation of renewable resources tends to decline. A study has been developed for the new Brazilian Regulatory Agency for the Electric Sector aiming at generating electricity from renewables. This chapter synthesized results of this project. Ministry of Mines and Energys (MME’) “Action Plan” promotes markets for sustainable energy services in isolated areas and addresses adequately some of the nontechnical barriers of renewables (lack of technical and financial information, constraints to technological development, etc.); but at this stage it makes no sense to restraint its efforts just to the dissemination of small systems.

Optimizing used recycled pulp in the paper production

In recent years interest in paper recycling has grown, as part of the increase popular awareness of environmental quality problems. Paper makes up about half of the weight of municipal refuse and municipal refuse disposal is an increasingly difficult problem. Landfill sites near large cities, which ofter the cheapest disposal method, are filling up at an increasing rate as the per capita solid waste generation continues to increase. Costs of acquiring more distant sites also continue to rise, as do transportation costs, hence reducing the total amount of refuse for disposal is of increasing economic importance aside from the environmental quality issue. This paper presents study-case with application of a linear programming model for production use and recycling of various paper and related products. This model is used to estimate the maximum feasible recycling rate given the current state of paper technology. Paper recycling, which is a very important issue in Brazil and many other countries.

The expansion of power generating systems: The need for broader assessments

The current procedure has been to formulate the power systems expansion plans based on a rather limited analysis. Most of the economic, social and political demands of the people affected by these plans are only considered “ex‐post”, through the building‐up of powerful pressure groups. The resulting patchwork corrective process to the previously agreed expansion programme is inefficient, costly, and unsatisfactory. This paper contains proposals for an adequate methodology which may be applied to the Brazilian south‐eastern region.