Avaliação do potencial de biometano de residuos sólidos urbanos para uso em transporte urbano: caso de Foz do Iguaçu

Abstract

The several increase of solid waste production by humanity has become a worldwide concern. Nevertheless, with the appropriate solid waste management the possibility of biogas generation arise, recovered as an energy source then can be applied as even as fuel. The use of biogas as a vehicle fuel is a reality in Brazil and in the world, bearing in mind the initiatives and actions of this nature were already impleaded and practiced. Within this scenario, the current project aimed to evaluate the biomethane potential production in the city Foz do Iguassu, state of Paraná, for usage in urban transport: Buses and cabs. To that end, the biogas, which was produced in the city’s landfill, was quantified, also was its potential for methane emission and generation, the estimate of the waste flux according to the number of citizens and the fuel consumption of the bus and taxi fleets. Due to these data, was sought the potential of replacing diesel vehicles (buses) and gasoline (taxis) by biomethane fuelled-vehicles and the economic viability involved in this process. It is concluded that the landfill has capacity for the bus fleets (50% for 17 years) and for taxis (100% for 19 years) and that the production cost of the biomethane in Foz do Iguassu is low. On the other hand, the vehicles conversion to the use of biomethane is expensive. Therefore, the result obtained was the following situation: the conversion of buses is more costly than cabs, and it is initially recommended that the taxi fleet turn to the use of biomethane as fuel, which one will react in a positive cash flow and a shorter return investment time, demonstrating the feasibility and economy of this process.