The president of CEGÁS, Hugo Figueirêdo, pointed out in an international seminar promoted by the Biogas Research Center at the University of Linköping, in Sweden, as the main challenges for the growth of the production and distribution of Renewable Natural Gas (GNR) in Brazil the expansion of investments in Research , Development, Innovation, and the mapping of the potential for production and use of this energy source.

Figueirêdo spoke at the panel “International outlook with short reports from India, Italy, South Africa, Cuba, Brazil”, which brought together experts from various countries around the world through a video conference system.

The president of CEGÁS began his speech by pointing out that the use of GNR by CEGÁS proved to be a competitive and sustainable experience, with positive impacts on the entire natural gas production chain in Ceará. "GNR expanded the supply offer and increased price competitiveness, directly benefiting our customers," said Figueirêdo.

According to Figueirêdo, the project to use biogas from the garbage landfill in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza is a successful example of a public-private alliance. The venture is the first of its kind in Brazil and is the result of a partnership between the government of Ceará, the prefectures of Fortaleza and Caucaia, CEGÁS and GNR Fortaleza.

The government of Ceará, through CEGÁS, invested R $ 22 million in the construction of a transfer station and a 23 km gas pipeline that transports the natural gas produced in ASMOC (Aterro Sanitário Municipal Oeste de Caucaia), which daily receives about 3 thousand tons of solid household waste.

Biogas is purified and converted into renewable natural gas by GNR Fortaleza and acquired by CEGÁS

The president of CEGÁS also stated that, since May 2018, the Company has become the first distributor in Brazil to inject in its gas pipeline network the GNR. According to him, GNR is already being delivered to all residential, commercial, industrial and vehicular customers of CEGÁS.

Currently, with 16%, Ceará has one of the largest shares of GNR in the volume of gas distributed in the world. In developed countries like France and Japan, this rate is less than 5%. In Sweden, the percentage is 12%.

The new national carbon credit law (Renovabio 2018), the provision of tax incentives by some state governments, such as Ceará, and an evolving regulatory environment at the national and state levels were described by Figueirêdo as factors that favor the expansion of the biogas market in Brazil.

As barriers to the development of this market, Figueirêdo pointed out the low dissemination and access to existing technological solutions, the high costs of importing technologies and limited own know-how, and the low awareness of the potential of biogas among producers, investors and users.

Figueirêdo sees good prospects for GNR in Brazil and defended a greater promotion of the market potential for investors, a policy of developing local suppliers of specialized equipment and services, and the reduction of bureaucracy in licensing production projects as measures for growth production and distribution of this energy source in the country.