Embrapa Launches Innovative System That Increases Biogas Production From Fruit and Vegetable Waste, Reducing Costs and Emissions

Written by Hilton Libório

Published on 09/09/2025 at 08:46

Reatores anaeróbios e barris com frutas e verduras descartadas compõem o novo sistema da Embrapa para geração de energia limpa

Be the first to react!

New System from Embrapa and UFC Transforms Fruits and Vegetables into Biogas, Reducing Costs and Emissions in Supply Centers

On September 9, 2025, Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, in partnership with Federal University of Ceará (UFC), presented a technological innovation that promises to transform organic waste management in Brazil.

The new system, called Integrated Anaerobic Reactor System, was developed to increase biogas production from discarded fruits and vegetables, reducing operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

New System from Embrapa: How the Technology Works

The technology was initially applied at the Ceará Supply Center (Ceasa-CE), where between 17 and 25 tons of fruits and vegetables unfit for human consumption are discarded monthly.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Biogas Production from Fruits and Vegetables: Environmental and Economic Impact

Biogas production from fruit and vegetable waste is a sustainable alternative for organic waste treatment. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about 30% of the world’s fruit and vegetable production is lost or wasted. In Brazil, it is estimated that 42% of the food produced is lost along the supply chain.

This waste generates significant environmental and social impacts. The adoption of the new system from Embrapa contributes to:

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)
Decreased costs for transporting and disposing of waste
Generation of clean and renewable energy
Promotion of a circular economy

Furthermore, the biogas produced can be used for electricity generation, heating spaces, or as vehicle fuel, broadening the possibilities for use and adding value to the process.

Partnership with the Federal University of Ceará Strengthens Innovation

The Federal University of Ceará (UFC) was a strategic partner in the development of the technology. Professor André dos Santos from the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering at UFC highlighted that the impact of the innovation could be huge, stating it generates sustainable energy, less waste, employment opportunities, and a circular economy.

UFC will also be a co-organizer of the 15th Latin American Workshop and Symposium on Anaerobic Digestion (XV DAAL), which will take place in Fortaleza from October 14 to 17, 2025. The event will bring together experts from various countries to discuss advances in biogas and biohydrogen production, consolidating Brazil as an international reference in the field.

Potential for Replication of the New System from Embrapa

The model developed for Ceasa-CE has high potential for replication in the other 57 supply centers in Brazil. The largest of them, located in São Paulo (Ceagesp), generates between 150 and 180 tons of waste per day. The application of the new system from Embrapa in these units could represent a revolution in organic waste management in the country.

In addition to supply centers, the system can be adapted for use in agricultural cooperatives, food industries, and even rural properties, expanding the reach of the technology and promoting the decentralization of energy generation.

Research on Biohydrogen Expands Energy Possibilities

In addition to biogas production, researchers also tested the generation of biohydrogen from the liquid fraction of the waste.

Although the results are not yet competitive on a commercial scale, the research paves the way for new routes for clean energy production. The technology used was dark fermentation in structured bed anaerobic reactors (AnStBR).

The continuity of studies may enable its application in industrial and transportation sectors, diversifying Brazil’s energy matrix.

Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production: Fundamentals and Applications

Anaerobic digestion is a microbiological process that transforms organic matter into energy bioproducts in the absence of oxygen. It is widely used in biodigesters for the treatment of liquid, solid, and semi-solid waste. The main benefits include:

Production of methane-rich biogas
Recovery of nutrients
Mitigation of GHG emissions
Reduction of organic load in effluents

This technique is considered one of the most promising for the energy recovery of organic waste, especially in countries with high agricultural production like Brazil. Integration with composting systems and bio-fertilizer generation enhances environmental and economic gains.

Innovation at Embrapa: Strategic Relevance for Brazil

The launch of the new system by Embrapa, in partnership with the Federal University of Ceará, represents a milestone in the search for sustainable solutions for the treatment of organic waste. The technology not only reduces costs and emissions but also promotes the rational use of resources, contributing to environmental and economic sustainability.

With the potential for replication throughout the national territory, the system represents a strategic solution to face the challenge of food waste and organic waste generation. The initiative reinforces the role of science and innovation as engines of sustainable transformation, positioning Brazil as a reference in clean technologies and the circular economy.

Embrapa Launches Innovative System That Increases Biogas Production From Fruit and Vegetable Waste, Reducing Costs and Emissions

New System from Embrapa and UFC Transforms Fruits and Vegetables into Biogas, Reducing Costs and Emissions in Supply Centers

New System from Embrapa: How the Technology Works

Biogas Production from Fruits and Vegetables: Environmental and Economic Impact

Partnership with the Federal University of Ceará Strengthens Innovation

Potential for Replication of the New System from Embrapa

Research on Biohydrogen Expands Energy Possibilities

Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production: Fundamentals and Applications

Innovation at Embrapa: Strategic Relevance for Brazil

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

Chinese engineers begin filling a 217-meter dam at an altitude of 3,000 meters and prepare a 2,240 MW hydroelectric power plant to integrate hydropower, solar, and wind energy in the upper Jinsha.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

China has just successfully tested the world’s first ground effect maritime vehicle, a craft that flies up to 6 meters above the water at 200 km/h, uses quantum technology and 6G communication, and can rescue patients in the middle of the ocean.

Climate change has transformed Australia’s famous lake, once a vibrant pink postcard, into a common blue-grey lake; tourists are warned not to expect the historic color anymore, and scientists are studying the site as a living laboratory and a Mars analogue.

The key to saving global agriculture from drought was hidden in five amino acids 450 million years ago, and a Spanish team has finally deciphered the code that could allow rewriting plants to survive without water on an increasingly dry planet.

Dentist explains why some people hardly brush their teeth and have no cavities, while others suffer even with good hygiene: genetics, saliva pH, acidic mouth, tartar, and sensitivity help to understand the differences and risks to oral health.

Australia dug 10 kilometers of tunnels 50 meters below Brisbane to build an urban train line — it cost A$ 7 billion, and the machines passed under a river and buildings without anyone on the surface noticing.

Artificial leaf that converts pollution into a useful resource using only sunlight worked for 24 consecutive hours and could be the beginning of the end of petroleum dependence in the chemical industry.

Embrapa Launches Innovative System That Increases Biogas Production From Fruit and Vegetable Waste, Reducing Costs and Emissions

New System from Embrapa and UFC Transforms Fruits and Vegetables into Biogas, Reducing Costs and Emissions in Supply Centers

New System from Embrapa: How the Technology Works

Biogas Production from Fruits and Vegetables: Environmental and Economic Impact

Partnership with the Federal University of Ceará Strengthens Innovation

Potential for Replication of the New System from Embrapa

Research on Biohydrogen Expands Energy Possibilities

Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production: Fundamentals and Applications

Innovation at Embrapa: Strategic Relevance for Brazil

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

Chinese engineers begin filling a 217-meter dam at an altitude of 3,000 meters and prepare a 2,240 MW hydroelectric power plant to integrate hydropower, solar, and wind energy in the upper Jinsha.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

China has just successfully tested the world’s first ground effect maritime vehicle, a craft that flies up to 6 meters above the water at 200 km/h, uses quantum technology and 6G communication, and can rescue patients in the middle of the ocean.

Japan wants to install the world’s largest floating wind farm, with a capacity of 1 GW near the Izu Islands, to supply Tokyo by 2035 and create a plant in the ocean nearly 10 times larger than the current largest floating operation.

Germany gives the world a lesson with 124 invisible turbines that generate clean energy without dams, without harming the landscape, and still work when the sun sets and the wind fails.

A single solar storm can knock out satellites, wipe out GPS, and leave 40 million people without power for months — and the transformers that protect the grid take 4 years to manufacture.

Jordan is spending US$6 billion to build the world’s second-largest desalination plant and transform Red Sea water into drinking water — while Northeast Brazil is still waiting for desalination projects promised more than a decade ago.

Brazil sold US$ 7.2 billion in crude oil to China alone in the first quarter — a 94% jump — but continues to import gasoline because it cannot refine what it extracts from its own soil.

Climate change has transformed Australia’s famous lake, once a vibrant pink postcard, into a common blue-grey lake; tourists are warned not to expect the historic color anymore, and scientists are studying the site as a living laboratory and a Mars analogue.

The key to saving global agriculture from drought was hidden in five amino acids 450 million years ago, and a Spanish team has finally deciphered the code that could allow rewriting plants to survive without water on an increasingly dry planet.

Dentist explains why some people hardly brush their teeth and have no cavities, while others suffer even with good hygiene: genetics, saliva pH, acidic mouth, tartar, and sensitivity help to understand the differences and risks to oral health.

Australia dug 10 kilometers of tunnels 50 meters below Brisbane to build an urban train line — it cost A$ 7 billion, and the machines passed under a river and buildings without anyone on the surface noticing.

Artificial leaf that converts pollution into a useful resource using only sunlight worked for 24 consecutive hours and could be the beginning of the end of petroleum dependence in the chemical industry.