10/22/2008 10h26
Sugar and alcohol sector will invest US$ 20.5 bi in cogeneration until 2015
Valor Econômico 10/22/2008
Entrepreneurs of electric energy cogeneration projects with the use of the sugarcane bagasse should end 2008 with renewed spirit. They celebrate some achievements registered during the year that represent the surpassing, yet partial in some cases, of old hindrances to the expansion of the production of bioelectricity, as electric energy extracted from the bagasse is called. Besides that, difficulties that hindered the development of the projects, such as the connection of the plants to the transmission meshes and the environmental licensing, started being effectively solved. According to surveys of the São Paulo Association of Energy Cogeneration (Cogen-SP), the sugar an alcohol sector should invest R$ 45 billion (US$ 20.5 billion) until 2015 in projects of electric energy cogeneration. There are nearly 210 enterprises, distributed by the States of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás, which will have a joint generation capacity of 15 thousand MW. From that total, 5 thousand MW will be used for own consumption, with the remaining being destined to the electric system. "Cogeneration of energy with the use of bagasse faced three problems that affected its development: difficulties of connection to the electric system; environmental licensing and pricing and recognition of the value of the generated energy", lists the executive vice-president of the São Paulo Association of Energy Cogeneration (Coger-SP) Carlos Roberto Silvestrin. According to him, there have been advances in the solution of the first two difficulties. Now, the sector discusses how to price the value of bioelectricity in an advantageous way.
