On March the 26th 2014, ERB - Energia Renováveis do Brasil, headquartered in São Paulo city, in partnership with the TGM Group, will release their new plant of energy co-generation from eucalyptus biomass in a petrochemical complex at the Dow unit in Aratu, in the city of Candeias, Bahia.

The innovative project is a reference in modernity in the petrochemical sector which blends the expertise of ERB in energy solutions with Dow’s commitment with sustainability and innovation. The equipment, provided by TGM, is a TGM Turbine of a reaction of 17MW potency, model BTE 32 with controlled extraction that will supply two types of steam to the Dow process, with 17 and 6 bar (a) and even electric energy. 

Dow Química, which today uses natural gas in their Aratu plant, will start using biomass after an investment of R$ 265 million in the Candeias (Bahia) plant. The plant will have a production capacity of 1.08 million tons of industrial steam and 108 thousand MW per hour of electric energy.

The wood, which will come from 10 thousand hectares of planted forests in nearby areas, will replace the gas used by the company in the steam production, meaning that all the steam will be produced from the chopped eucalyptus wood of their own reforesting and 100% dedicated.

For the business development manager of TGM, Carlos Paletta, this Project shows an optimistic projection for this sector, among others. ‘The model developed by ERB uses sustainable procedures for energy generation from biomass, with 100% national technology, producing important gains for a petrochemical company’, he explained. 

ERB and Dow Brasil have signed a contract of long term for the steam supply. ERB will invest, install and operate a plant of co-generation which will replace 200 thousand cubic meters of natural gas a day used by Dow. This action will reduce the plant CO 2 in 180 thousand tons a year, bringing benefits to people, the environment and the region growth.

The ERB unit of co-generation has been set up next to the Aratu complex, where the biggest facility of Dow Brasil is. Focused on the sustainability issue, one of the main values of the company, Dow will be, with this innovation, the first petrochemical company of Brazil to obtain their energy from biomass, bringing benefits to the environment.