Expected for the first half of this year, the transformation of organic waste into energy in Bento Gonçalves should take place at the beginning of 2020. The start of activities depends on the choice, by bidding, a company qualified for the service and a period for the construction of a waste treatment and disposal plant. The work will be done through a public-private partnership (PPP).
The transformation of organic waste into energy – widely used in countries in Europe and Asia – is still not widespread in Latin America. According to the Secretary of Economic Development of Bento Gonçalves, Silvio Bertolini Pasin, the one-year delay in the project is due precisely to pioneering, which generated requests for explanations and corrections of six items of the study by the State Court of Auditors (TCE). Three points have already been remedied, and the other three are under review by the court.. “We are paying the costs for pioneering”, he comments. The expectation is that the continuation of the bidding will be released in August.
The city hall published a notice in August last year, so that the bidding could be done in September. Five companies were qualified for the event, but, during the term of appeals of competitors, the TCE suspended the bidding, until six items were clarified. Since then, the municipal management works to answer all questions. Among them is the publication of the notice in national vehicles, and not just regional, questions about choosing the winner not just for the lowest price, but also because of the technique used and the adoption of regulations from the State Foundation for Environmental Protection (Fepam) for prior license. “How is a new process, with high technology, raises doubts. It is understandable that the TCE wants to understand well such a high investment”, Pasin comments.
The investment will be almost R$ 500 millions, all spent by the contracted company, who will provide the service during 35 years old. With the generated energy, Bento Gonçalves will be able to produce enough electricity to supply 2 a thousand houses a day. the supply, However, will be limited to municipal buildings and services, since the homes are serviced by a contracted concessionaire.
For the future, the city hall studies, yet, possibilities of partnerships with service providers for the municipality, so that, instead of paying for the installment, exchange for electricity. It will also be possible to offer energy in new locations, so that the concessionaire does not need to make investments in connections.
currently, near 24% of the garbage in Bento Gonçalves goes through selective collection. The rest ends up being taken to the landfill of Minas do Leão – near 110 tons a day. With the change, this transport and disposal logistics will be eliminated, which, in the calculations of the city, can generate savings of up to R$ 8 millions annually.
The technology provided for in the project is pyrolysis, a thermochemical decomposition process that does not involve oxygen and, therefore, does not generate contaminating gases. Organic waste and other collected waste will be placed on a mat, in which there will be mechanical removal of metals, glasses, papers and plastics. Organic waste will be introduced into a drum, which will be, then, heated, and the final result – the so-called synthesis gas – will power generators connected to the municipal electricity grid. There will be, also, a residue of carbonized biomass, called biochar, which will undergo tests to determine its possible use as a fertilizer. The mechanism does not require large spaces, does not generate bad smell and, for not standing still, no risk of rat infestation, cockroaches and flies.
Some cited information can be visited on the original site:
TRADE NEWSPAPER, “Bento Gonçalves will transform waste into energy as of 2020”, July/19. Link: www.jornaldocomercio.com.
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