Distribuição geográfica e conjuntura atual das usinas de biocombustíveis da região Sul do Brasil

Abstract

The search for alternative solutions for clean and less environmentally friendly energy production has been discussed and fostered by governments for some decades and has grown since the 1970s following the oil crisis. Concern about environmental pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases has resulted in studies of the environmental impacts caused, above all by the burning of fossil fuels. These studies have increasingly reinforced the importance of commercial-scale production of biofuels. At the present time, there is a lot of research related to the subject, however, no specific studies on the spatial distribution of the biofuel production plants of the southern region of Brazil have been found, as well as their relation with edaphoclimatic factors such as: climate, relief, type of Soils and other characteristics such as the flow of production that influenced its installation, this being the main objective of this research. The purpose of this paper was to present the spatial distribution of the biofuel production plants of the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, registered at the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuel - ANP, which were associated with production data Of raw material, purchased on the platform of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE, and data on the production of meat, animal fats, soy and sugarcane on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA). These were added the possible ways of disposal of the production, data acquired from the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT). Among the results obtained, it was verified that Rio Grande do Sul is the largest producer of biodiesel in the South Region, with ten plants that use soybean as raw material for production; While the state of Paraná, in turn, is Brazil's second largest producer of soybeans, the largest producer of ethanol, with 29 sugarcane mills; The production of Santa Catarina is inexpressive, with only one soybean biodiesel plant. The use of animal fat in the Southern Region is almost non-existent, even though this is the largest poultry and pork producer in the country, showing a potential still unexplored regionally.